[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/trump-administration-wants-to-allow-religious-child-welfare-agencies-to-reject-lgbtq-families\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/trump-administration-wants-to-allow-religious-child-welfare-agencies-to-reject-lgbtq-families\/","headline":"Trump administration wants to allow religious child welfare agencies to reject LGBTQ+ families","name":"Trump administration wants to allow religious child welfare agencies to reject LGBTQ+ families","description":"Family Equality is denouncing the Trump administration\u2019s proposal to allow religious foster care and adoption agencies to refuse placing children in LGBTQ+ families.","datePublished":"2019-11-04","dateModified":"2019-11-05","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/dyanabagby\/#Person","name":"Dyana Bagby","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/dyanabagby\/","identifier":6804,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6113dc70f8e9f2874f060d5614918858f6d7357006a1352bd763ab372ca336f9?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6113dc70f8e9f2874f060d5614918858f6d7357006a1352bd763ab372ca336f9?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bruno-nascimento-eo11MS0FSnk-unsplash-e1572933461904.jpg","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bruno-nascimento-eo11MS0FSnk-unsplash-e1572933461904.jpg","height":3647,"width":5471},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/trump-administration-wants-to-allow-religious-child-welfare-agencies-to-reject-lgbtq-families\/","about":["News"],"wordCount":583,"keywords":["adoption","foster care"],"articleBody":"Family Equality is denouncing the Trump administration\u2019s proposal to allow religious taxpayer-funded foster care and adoption agencies with anti-gay beliefs to refuse placing children in LGBTQ+ families. The group\u2019s leaders say the plan is a \u201clicense to discriminate\u201d and is urging its supporters to speak out against the policy.The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced Nov. 1 its plans to eliminate the Obama-era policy implemented in December 2016 that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity among federal grantees. Federal grantees\u2014those that receive federal grants funded with taxpayer money\u2014include adoption agencies.\u00a0 Read the proposed rule and regulations by clicking here.\u201cIt is outrageous that the Trump administration would mark the start of National Adoption Month by announcing a rule to further limit the pool of loving homes available to America\u2019s 440,000 foster children,\u201d said Julie Kruse, director of federal policy at Family Equality. Family Equality is a 40-year old nonprofit advocating for LGBTQ+ families at the state and federal level.\u201cThe American public overwhelmingly opposes allowing taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies to turn away qualified parents simply because they are in a same-sex relationship,\u201d Kruse said.Denise Brogan-Kator, chief policy officer at Family Equality, said the Trump administration proposal does not put the interest of children first.\u201cThis action harms America\u2019s foster children, particularly the 123,000 waiting for adoption. Less than half of these children will find their forever families within a year, yet the administration is acting to make even fewer families available,\u201d Brogan-Kator said in a statement.\u201cChanging federal nondiscrimination rules to allow child-placing agencies to reduce the pool of qualified potential foster and adoptive parents runs counter to the cardinal rule of child welfare: that the best interests of children in care must come first,\u201d Brogan-Kator added.The HHS said in its announcement of the proposed new rule ensures protections of \u201creligious freedom\u201d and in its rule states many religious-based agencies argue the Obama-era rule violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.\u201cThe proposed rule represents the Trump Administration’s strong commitment to the rule of law\u2015the Constitution, federal statutes, and Supreme Court decisions,\u201d according to the HHS press release.\u201cThese require that the federal government not infringe on religious freedom in its operation of HHS grant programs and address the impact of regulatory actions on small entities,\u201d according to HHS.White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere denied the proposed rule is a broken Trump promise to protect LGBT people.\u201cThe president is in no way undermining his promise or preventing LGBT people from adopting. LGBT people can still adopt and that will not change,\u201d Deere told the Washington Blade.\u201cThe administration is rolling back an Obama-era rule that was proposed in the 12\u2019o clock hour of the last administration that jeopardizes the ability of faith-based providers to continue serving their communities,\u201d Deere said. \u201cThe federal government should not be in the business of forcing child welfare providers to choose between helping children and their faith.\u201dIn January, the Trump administration issued a waiver to South Carolina allowing faith-based foster care and adoption agencies to turn away secular and other parents whose religious beliefs don\u2019t match the provider\u2019s.HHS is now accepting public comment on the proposed rule. Family Equality is asking LGBTQ+ supporters, allies and families to share their stories to be filed with the HHS.A section of the organization\u2019s website directs people to \u201cSpeak out against the Trump administration\u2019s proposed license to discriminate.\u201d"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Trump administration wants to allow religious child welfare agencies to reject LGBTQ+ families","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/trump-administration-wants-to-allow-religious-child-welfare-agencies-to-reject-lgbtq-families\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]