Faith-based Adoption Agencies Threatened!
A bill (HB 1932) introduced by Delegate Mark Levine (D-Alexandria) seeks to repeal statutory conscience protections for faith-based adoption and foster care agencies, a law The Family Foundation fought hard to put in place in 2012. Delegate Levine brought this bill last year which, after two committee hearings, was defeated because no one would “second” the motion to pass it.
Delegate that sit on the Health, Welfare, & Institutions (HWI) Sub-Committee that defeated this bill last year need to hear from you again so that we can protect faith-based child placement agencies.
Despite the numerous agencies in Virginia that place foster children and orphans with same-sex couples, Del. Levine wants to oppose religious diversity by targeting faith-based nonprofits and putting them out of business simply for placing children in homes with a mom and a dad, as has happened in other states.
There are 5,400 children in Virginia's foster care system, and of those more than 700 are ready for adoption right now. So, why would our state legislature want to limit the number of adoption and foster agencies to help care for these children, as this bill would do? We need as many agencies as possible serving foster children in Virginia, not less.
It would also be wise for the General Assembly to wait for a U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, a case it heard in November about whether the city of Philadelphia can legally prevent Catholic Social Services from participating in the foster care system because they refuse to certify unmarried or same-sex couples for foster placement. The outcome of this case could render HB 1932 a moot issue.
Virginia has always been a place of religious diversity and tolerance. Our Commonwealth should remain a place that is welcome to people and nonprofits of all religious views. We are working with other groups to defeat this misguided bill, but legislators need to hear from their constituents.
CLICK HERE to contact your Delegate on the Sub-Committee right away!
