Arkansas & Kansas Enact Protections for Faith-Based Adoption, Foster Care

Arkansas and Kansas enacted laws this week protecting families and faith-based adoption and foster care organizations, ensuring they aren’t punished for their religious or moral beliefs about human sexuality.

Kansas

The Kansas Legislature voted Thursday to override Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of the Adoption Conscience Act (H.B. 2311).

The bill prohibits the state from adopting, implementing or enforcing any policy “that requires a person to affirm, accept or support any governmental policy regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that may conflict with the person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs” as a prerequisite for serving as a foster parent or adopting a child.

H.B. 2311 also bars the state from the “selection, appointment or licensures, if otherwise eligible, of a person because of such person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity or intent to guide or instruct a child consistent with such beliefs.”

Though Gov. Kelly vetoed the bill on April 10, the House overrode her veto the same day in an 87-38 vote. The Senate followed suit in a 31-9 vote.

Kansas Family Voice, a Focus on the Family-allied state family policy council, cheered the legislature’s decision to enact the bill.

“Families should not have to sacrifice religious and moral beliefs in order to care for children in need in our state,” said Brittany Jones, Director of Policy and Engagement at Kansas Family Voice, adding,

Sadly, families have been rejected for their beliefs about sexuality and marriage in Kansas. Now that the Adoption Conscience Act has become law this will not happen to other families.

Arkansas

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the Keep Kids First Act (H.B. 1669) on Thursday.

The bill prohibits the state from requiring “any private child placement agency to perform assist, counsel, recommend, consent to, refer, or participate in any placement of a child for foster care or adoption when the proposed placement would violate the private child placement agency’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.”

H.B. 1669 also states that the state shall not “take any discriminatory action against a person whom the state government places custody of a foster or preadoptive child” based on the person’s:

Sincerely held religious belief, or intent to guide, instruct, or raise a child … consistent with that person’s sincerely held religious beliefs; or

Refusal to accept or support any government policy regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the person’s sincerely held religious beliefs.

The Arkansas House passed the bill in a 78-17 vote on March 13. The Senate subsequently approved it in a 23-5 vote on April 3.

“Every child deserves a loving home that can provide them stability and opportunities to grow,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Greg Chafuen in a statement. He added,

Other states have put politics over people by excluding caring families and faith-based adoption and foster care organizations from helping children find loving homes.

Thankfully, Arkansas has taken the critical step to pass HB 1669, the Keep Kids First Act, which prioritizes the well-being of kids by prohibiting state and local government officials from discriminating against adoption and foster care providers and parents simply because of their religious beliefs and moral convictions.

Various states have forced Christians out of the foster care and adoption system if they believe in God’s male-female design for humanity, and in biblical sexuality.

This is especially foolish, given that Christians are – by far – the most likely to engage with the foster care system or adopt.

“Practicing Christians are twice as likely to foster or adopt than the general population,” Barna Research has found. “They are also more likely to welcome sibling groups, older youth, and children with special needs.”

We applaud the Kansas and Arkansas legislatures, and Gov. Sanders’ decision to enact bills protecting Christian foster and adoptive parents from discrimination.

To speak with a family help specialist or request resources, please call us at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).

Currently, the United States has more than 391,000 children in foster care. Focus on the Family’s Wait No More program helps inspire families to become involved in the lives of waiting kids, whether through adoption or in a different way. Learn more about Wait No More.

Related articles and resources:

Wait No More

What You Can Do to Help Kids in Foster Care

Changing the World Through Adoption

When Government is Hostile to Christian Foster Parents

Resources: Foster Care & Adoption

Adopted Worship Leader Isaiah Moore Headed to Hollywood on ‘American Idol’

Stay-at-Home Mom Headed to Hollywood After Rendition of ‘Jesus, Take The Wheel’

Kentucky Family Gives the Gift of Adoption for Christmas: ‘I Felt Actual Love’

States Exclude Christian Parents From Foster Care

Adopted Christian Singer Makes ‘American Idol’ Top Seven After Singing ‘There Was Jesus’

Photo from Getty Images.