November is National Adoption Month. Yesterday, Family Equality Council joined Moms Rising, along with PFLAG and Children’s Action Network during Moms Rising’s weekly #WellnessWed chat to discuss current barriers preventing prospective parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer from serving as foster or adoptive parents in certain states. Our message was clear: More prospective parents means a chance for every child to have a safe, stable, loving home. We shared a lot of great information that you or someone you know may find helpful in the journey to parenthood.
During the chat, we introduced our Every Child Deserves a Family Campaign. Join Family Equality Council in educating our communities about how removing existing barriers will help every child find the safe, loving and welcoming family they deserve. Click here to learn more about the campaign and to get involved.
A1: Sad fact: at the end of 2015, 111,820 kids in foster care were waiting to be adopted – while that year only 53,549 were adopted. #WellnessWed #ECDFChat #NAM2017 https://t.co/EUDMkHQJ1K
— Family Equality (@family_equality) November 15, 2017
Great question, thank you! Sadly yes. Another reason we need to provide families of faith a good base of education and understanding. Being a person of faith and someone who is or supports an LGBTQ person are not mutually exclusive! #WellnessWed #ECDFChat https://t.co/4GxGKTeyyn
— PFLAG National (@PFLAG) November 15, 2017
A4: Generally, any single adult or a married couple jointly
can be eligible to adopt. Same-sex couples are four times more likely to adopt and six times more likely to foster than opposite-sex couples. #WellnessWed #ECDFChat #NAM2017 https://t.co/Zgzg2u6ktf— Family Equality (@family_equality) November 15, 2017
A3. Sixty one percent of children enter the foster care system due to neglect and 32% due to drug abuse by a parent. The average length of stay for a youth in the system is 19 months. #WellnessWed #ECDFChat https://t.co/Av69vzKf6z
— CAN (@ChildrensAction) November 15, 2017
A2: Laws pertaining to child welfare and adoption are governed by each State, and they can vary widely between agencies. #WellnessWed #ECDFChat https://t.co/6PLOSwi3bo
— Family Equality (@family_equality) November 15, 2017
A5. So while over 111,000 kids are waiting to be adopted each year, only 53,000 are adopted, and 20,000 age out without a loving, forever family & about 2 million LGBTQ adults would consider serving as adoptive or foster parents but are prevented from doing so by discrimination https://t.co/U5PjbNa2IF
— Julie Kruse (@jkruse_17) November 15, 2017
A6: 25% of youth who age out of the foster care system report having been homeless for at least one night within 4 years of leaving foster care. #WellnessWed #ECDFChat #NAM2017 https://t.co/z4U8zMCOwh
— Family Equality (@family_equality) November 15, 2017
Check out these sharable graphics with stats about #LGBTQ families and adoption! https://t.co/tT2BiczlzW pic.twitter.com/pb1c2z5U7S
— Ed Harris (@EdHarrisDotMe) November 15, 2017
A7: No, #ECDF only applies to providers that receive federal funding. #WellnessWed #ECDFChat https://t.co/CiGe6SlpVY
— CAN (@ChildrensAction) November 15, 2017
A9: This year the number of states with laws allowing child welfare agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ children & potential parents DOUBLED.#WellnessWed #ECDFChat #NAM2017 https://t.co/UvqU7NChxh
— Family Equality (@family_equality) November 15, 2017
We envision a day when no child is asked to face adulthood alone, when every child aging out of #FosterCare is connected to an unconditionally committed, loving permanent family. #WellnessWed #ECDFChat https://t.co/RBEMELC1rG
— You Gotta Believe! (@adoptolderkids) November 15, 2017
A2: Adoption non-discrimination laws protect LGBT parents from discrimination by adoption agencies and officials. See which states have these protections: https://t.co/ONJVRu7BpJ #ECDF #NAM2017 #wellnesswed
— LGBT MAP (@lgbtmap) November 15, 2017