At the heart of our mission is the belief that every child and family deserves access to nurturing and secure child welfare services. Sadly, discrimination within the child welfare system is pervasive, affecting countless youth in foster care, their families, and prospective foster and adoptive parents.
Currently, there are 14 states permitting adoption and foster care agencies to reject qualified prospective parents based on their identity or whom they love. With LGBTQ+ individuals statistically more inclined to foster and adopt than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts, and with one in three youth in foster care identifying as LGBTQ+ experiencing elevated levels of harassment and mistreatment, this form of discrimination poses significant harm.
This is why we passionately advocate for all children within the foster care and adoption systems. Our goal is to support families of origin, encourage acceptance of LGBTQ+ youth within families, and ensure that all children have access to affirming, loving, and stable homes.
Current Efforts
One of our primary initiatives is the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act. This pivotal legislation aims to safeguard children, families of origin, kin, and prospective foster and adoptive parents by banning discrimination in taxpayer-funded child welfare services.
The landscape of foster and adoption laws varies from state to state. Some states uphold nondiscrimination protections, while others allow agencies to deny services to children and families. Resources like the Movement Advancement Project provide insightful maps detailing these legal differences across states.
We invite you to share your story. To effectively advocate against discrimination in foster care and adoption, we need to hear from voices like yours! Whether you are a member of an LGBTQ+ family, have personal experiences with foster care or adoption, or oppose discrimination in these areas, your insights are invaluable.
In our latest blog posts, we explore how LGBTQ+ families have significantly influenced the movement for marriage equality. Additionally, we celebrate the upcoming Family Equality Giving Day – an opportunity to unite and support our mission. We also reflect on partnerships that honor our past while inspiring future aspirations.
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In summary, our commitment to advocating for equitable child welfare services remains steadfast, emphasizing the need for inclusive and supportive environments for all families. Join us in this vital work to ensure that every child has the family they deserve.