The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family (ECDF) Act focuses attention on the best interests of children in the foster care system by…
- Prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and marital status against families and youth in taxpayer-funded child welfare services;
- Require culturally competent care for youth and families of color and youth and families who are disabled, religious minorities, or LGBTQ+;
- Bar conversion therapy in foster care;
- Require data collection on LGBTQ+ youth and families; and
- Establish a National Resource Center for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care within the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families
To advocate for passage of this critically important bill, Family Equality formed the Every Child Deserves a Family campaign — a national coalition of child welfare, civil rights, faith, and business organizations working together to ensure our elected officials put the best interests of youth in care first.
Why do we need the Every Child Deserves a Family campaign?
Currently, 14 states have passed discriminatory adoption and foster care laws that allow adoption and foster care agencies to turn away prospective parents because of who they are, who they love, or what they believe. Yet, hundreds of thousands of children are in foster care, and tens of thousands of youth age out of foster care each year without being adopted, placing them at higher risks of incarceration, being trafficked, homelessness, and unemployment.
