Family Research Council applauds the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for announcing a proposed regulatory change to ensure that the government may not punish adoption providers who operate according to their faith, including their belief that children do best in a home with a mom and dad, which empirical evidence supports.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins stated:
“This is tremendous news for children, birth moms, and adoptive families, who want the opportunity to work with an agency that shares their values and core beliefs — without fear of government discrimination.
“Thanks to President Trump, charities will be free to care for needy children and operate according to their religious beliefs and the reality that children do best in a home with a married mom and dad. Under the proposed HHS rule, faith-based adoption providers will no longer have to choose between abandoning their faith or abandoning homeless children because the government disapproves of their views on marriage.
“The need for this action is unfortunately evident as various state and local governments have trampled upon religious freedom protections and the First Amendment, forcing the shut-down of faith-based adoption providers that decline to leave their faith at the door. Punishing adoption providers for their convictions only serves to hurt the vulnerable children who miss out on the opportunity to find a loving home with a mom and dad.
“Faith-based adoption services are motivated by their faith to perform a public service, one that is woefully undersupplied. Discriminating against them for the very reason that motivates them to perform this irreplaceable service is the height of folly. Overextended, financially-strapped social service government agencies are unable to fill the void left by shuttered faith-based charities.
“We commend President Trump for his courage to stand up for vulnerable children, adoptive families, and those who serve them. This is a president who acknowledges that faith in God is central to the mission of faith-based adoption providers and the well-being of communities,” concluded Perkins.