FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13 2019
Contact: Shannon Minter – 415-624-6071; Email sminter@nclrights.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Every Child Deserves a Family (ECDF) Act of 2019 in the U.S. Senate, a bill that will ensure fair and compassionate treatment of all children and families in the foster care system – without regard to their religion, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill will improve services to LGBTQ and religious minority children, and will prohibit federally funded adoption, foster care and child welfare agencies from discriminating against children, families, and individuals based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or marital status.
Statement from Youth Policy Director Shannan Wilber:
“This important legislation stands for the simple proposition that federal funds should not pay for child welfare services that harm vulnerable children to advance a discriminatory political agenda. Turning away willing and capable adoptive parents based solely on their sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or marital status further jeopardizes the tens of thousands of youth who leave the foster care system with no permanent family. Using taxpayer funds to discriminate against LGBTQ foster children or subject them to harmful and discredited “conversion” therapies is reprehensible. NCLR applauds Senator Gillibrand for introducing legislation embodying the core values of our public child welfare system. Every Child Deserves a Family.”
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The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www.NCLRights.org
