WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, today praised Sen. Kristin Gillibrand (D-NY), who announced she will introduce the Every Child Deserves a Family Act (ECDFA) in the Senate.  This legislation would remove barriers to LGBT people serving as adoptive and foster parents, as well as address the need to find loving homes for the disproportionate number of LGBT youth in foster care.  The Act would deny federal adoption and foster care assistance dollars to states which discriminate in adoption or foster care placement based on the sexual orientation, marital status or gender identity of the potential parent, or the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child.  In May, Representative Pete Stark (D-CA) reintroduced the ECDFA in House as H.R. 1681.

Following Sen. Gillibrand’s announcement, HRC President Joe Solmonese made the following statement:

“HRC is pleased that Senator Gillibrand will introduce the Every Child Deserves at Family Act in the Senate.  We thank her and Rep. Stark for their leadership in combating discrimination against LGBT people in adoption and foster care.  With more than 120,000 children in this country waiting to be adopted right now, it is inexcusable to bar qualified LGBT parents from providing loving homes to children in need.”    

HRC is proud to support the Every Child Deserves a Family Act as one part of our work to expand the pool of qualified adoptive parents.  In addition, HRC’s Family Project has the “All Children – All Families” initiative, launched in 2007, which promotes policies and practices that welcome LGBT foster and adoptive parents.  The program seeks to enhance LGBT cultural competence among child welfare professionals and educate LGBT people about opportunities to become foster or adoptive parents to waiting children.  To date, ACAF has 50 participating agencies across the country, and has awarded 16 seals of recognition. In September HRC launched a “50 state strategy,” with the goal of securing at least one ACAF-recognized adoption agency dedicated to working with LGBT families in every state.   More information about the initiative can be found at www.hrc.org/acaf.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.