scientific research and mainstream child welfare organizations
confirm that children raised by same-sex parents have exactly the
same chance of growing into happy, well-adjusted adults. It isn’t
up for debate. The idea that children suffer from being raised in
same-sex households is unsubstantiated fantasy.
But that isn’t stopping this idea from invading public discussions
about adoption policy across the country. In the past few months
many partisan groups have been weighing in on the adoption issue
and distracting from what is the absolute only standard by which
family policy must be decided: the best interest of children.
Starting with Rick Santorum’s recent remarks in Iowa, as reported
by Igor Volsky at Think Progress, and continuing on to recent
media coverage, thoroughly debunked by
Carlos Maza of Equality Matters, the same argument is cropping up
again and again
and
again. Somehow a simple idea- that youth in foster care are
best served by finding every available and qualified home, whether
straight or not- isn’t getting through.
That’s what the
Every Child Deserves A Family act is all about: ensuring that
youth in foster care have every chance of being placed in a loving,
permanent home. Representatives Pete Stark (D-CA) and Ileana
Ros-lehtinen (R-FL) understand that sound family policy is not a
partisan issue, especially not with the mountain of evidence that
indicates children raised by same sex parents have the same chance
at success as any other.
Placing children with qualified and loving parents is the only
responsibility of agencies that perform public adoptions. By
taking on this role, agencies have an obligation to work tirelessly
to find every possible outlet to a loving home for youth in foster
care. Nothing should distract from our responsibility to make
decisions based on the best interest of children.
Discrimination isn’t in the job description.
Every child deserves a family. When it comes to adoption that’s the
only thing that matters.
