U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) and U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) recently introduced the “Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act,” S. 624 in the U.S. Senate and H.R. 5285 in the U.S. House.  This legislation will protect child welfare providers such as faith-based adoption and foster care agencies. It is extremely necessary due to the states that are adopting policies which will require these providers to violate their sincerely-held beliefs by placing children with same-sex couples, effectively forcing them out of business. We saw this happen in Illinois with Catholic Charities.

According to the joint press release:

For decades, adoption and foster care providers – secular, government-operated and faith-based – have worked side-by-side to serve infants, expectant mothers, adoptive and foster families, children, teens and families under economic and emotional pressure. The Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2014 would prevent providers of child welfare services from being excluded from offering these services based on their religious beliefs.

Faith-based charities and organizations do an amazing job of administering adoption, foster care and a host of other services. Limiting their work because someone might disagree with what they believe only ends up hurting the families they could be bringing together,” said Enzi. “I’ve worked for years to support bills and ideas that help children find safe, loving and permanent homes. This legislation will help make sure faith-based providers and individuals can continue to work alongside other agencies and organizations, and that adoptive and foster parents have access to providers of their choice.

This bill is about fairness and inclusion. It is about ensuring that everyone who wants to help provide foster or adoptive care to children is able to have a seat at the table,” said Kelly. “Faith-based organizations have historically played a downright heroic role in caring for our nation’s most vulnerable and needy kids. In so many ways their work is unparalleled. There is no good reason why any of these care providers should be disqualified from working with their government to serve America’s families simply because of their deeply-rooted religious beliefs.

Adoption and foster care is intensely personal and emotional for all those concerned.  All participants, infants, children, teens and families involved have benefited from having a range of service options to best suit their emotional, spiritual and financial needs and circumstances, according to Enzi and Kelly.

Take ACTION:  Click HERE to help protect our religious freedom by contacting your U.S. Representative as well as U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk. Ask them to please support the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act. Passage of this bill will help ensure that the most vulnerable among us are placed in loving homes that best meet their needs.