New child welfare regulations concerning foster care placement have finally been released after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spent months reviewing nearly 14,000 comments submitted by the public.
What’s at Stake
Tragically and dangerously, the new regulations create a two-tiered system for foster care agencies.
Worst of all, political correctness – not the health and welfare of children – is driving the changes.
The Issue
Titled “Safe and Appropriate Foster Care Placement Requirements for Titles IV-E and IV-B,” and originally previewed in the fall before inviting public comment as required by law, HHS will now delineate the designation of an agency based on their willingness to require parents to go along with a child’s sexual confusion.
Agencies that comply with new and progressive policies will be labeled as “Designated Placement Providers.” Those that uphold a parent’s religious convictions to not enable and add to the child’s confusion will have no such distinction or designation. While they’re not barred from receiving children, at least for now, HHS will make clear they’re refusing to play along with the new LGBT enablement.
What the HHS Rules Actually Say
Writes HHS, “The [Designated] provider must commit to establishing an environment that supports the child’s LGBTQI+ status or identity.
Second, the provider must be trained with the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of the child related to the child’s self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Third, the provider must facilitate the child’s access to age- or developmentally appropriate resources, services, and activities that support their health and well-being.”
Translation: If a sexually confused child is placed in the home of a “designated provider,” the foster parents will be required to do anything and everything, no matter how dangerous or immoral, even going along with officials providing puberty blockers or mutilation surgeries.
Why this is Significant
Foster care agencies throughout the United States regularly work with the government to help find homes for children ranging from newborn to 18 years of age. These agencies and their licensed families provide a literal life preserver, welcoming children at all hours on any given day.
Here in El Paso County in Colorado, much like elsewhere, county officials designate an “agency of the day.” When a need manifests, county officials call the particular agency and work to place the child or children.
By establishing two types of agencies, the politically correct ones (especially in progressive states) stand to receive the most placements. This two-tiered system will inevitably block many Christian families from being considered to serve as foster parents.
“While the new language does include some changes we recommended, it continues to carry significant potential for negative impact on faith-motivated organizations and families – and for the children they serve,” wrote Jedd Medefind, president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO). “At the same time, we – as always – continue to see ample reasons for hope and sturdy good cheer in this difficult, beautiful work to which we’ve been called.”
More Hope
Since the HHS report is regulatory and not statutory, and is not scheduled to go into effect until 2026, a new administration could easily reverse these new and discriminatory policies.
In the end, it’s social suicide to throw up more barriers when it comes to doing anything that would discourage Christian parents from stepping forward to serve as foster parents. While it’s unknown exactly what percentage of foster families nationwide are Christian, we do know that over 60% of Arkansas parents serving in the foster care system are professing believers.
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