The Virginia State Senate is debating the passage of the so-called “conscience clause” that would permit adoption and foster agencies to deny placing a child in a home based on moral or religious causes. President Obama has opposed the measure, prompting The Family Equality Council to praise the Administration in wake of the president‘s support for opening all homes including those belonging to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents regardless of “religious or moral convictions” to all foster and adoptive children in the United States.
“While the president does not weigh in on every single action taken by legislative bodies in our country, he has long believed that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals based on their interest in offering a loving home, not based on discriminatory and irrelevant factors,” said Shin Inouye, a White House spokesperson. “He recognizes that adoptive families come in many forms, and that we must do all we can to break down barriers to ensure that all qualified caregivers have the ability to serve as adoptive families.”
Virginia has the second lowest foster placement rate in the country including the highest rate of youth who never get placed at all once they reach adulthood.
“We are gravely concerned about the proposed legislation in Virginia because it attempts to place the private religious beliefs of organizations above the best interests of children in the public foster care system,” said Jennifer Chrisler of the Family Equality Council.
“President Obama has long believed that every child deserves a loving family and that all qualified parents who can provide a stable family should be considered and not face discrimination,” she said. “We join with the President in expressing support for the goals of the Every Child Deserves A Family Act so that our country can open up every available home to the 408,000 children in foster care.”
