HRC Blog

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being a panelist at a briefing on the Every Child Deserves a Family Act (ECDFA) for the GLASS Caucus (Gay, Lesbian and Allied Senate Staff).  Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced this bill (S.1770) in the Senate for the first time earlier this month; Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA)   introduced the House version (H.R. 1681) in May.  The ECDFA would remove discriminatory practices in foster care and adoption based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status, and states that don’t fully comply could be subject to a loss of federal funds.  The timing for this briefing was ideal—this is National Adoption Month, a time to raise awareness about the 107,000 children and youth in foster care who have the goal of adoption, and to celebrate the thousands of thriving adoptive families, including LGBT families, that are part of the adoption community.  We applaud Senator Gillibrand for her commitment to improving the lives of children and youth, and to creating a level playing field for all adults, single or married, LGBT or not, who are interested in becoming foster or adoptive parents.

Earlier this week, prospective LGBT parents in the Los Angeles area had the opportunity to learn about opening their homes, building families and going through the adoption process. There are approximately 500 children in the LA area – and over 100,000 nationwide – in need of forever homes.

This week's National Adoption Month blog series features the Galvez family.

Passions have been stirred following last Friday's questionable pairing of a story about the Penn State abuse scandal with a piece on LGBT families on the radio show "To the Point."

This week's National Adoption Month blog series features Kischka Bluespiro's family and their journey through foster care.