U.S. Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) introduced a bill last week that could restrict federal funding for states that don’t allow LGBT adoption and foster care.
The “Every Child Deserves a Family Act,” would target states with policies that use marital status, sexual orientation and gender identity to determine adoption eligibility. Such states include Utah, Florida, Arkansas, Nebraska, and Mississippi.
“We got 25,000 kids a year maturing out of the welfare system without permanent foster care or adoptive care, and the prospects of those children having a successful adult life are diminished greatly,” Stark told the Washington Blade. “These are kids who end up in the criminal justice system, or end up homeless.”
Stark has support from Nancy Pelosi, the Human Rights Campaign and Family Equality Council and says the House Ways and Means Committee could discuss the bill this year.
For more information, see the full article here.
— Theresa Bruskin
