Oklahoma Senate approves protections for Christian foster parents
Caroline MolloyMembers of the Oklahoma Senate have passed, on an overwhelming and bipartisan basis, legislation that would protect Christian couples from being required to set aside their religious beliefs in order to serve as foster or adoptive parents.
“This bill assures parents who apply to be foster or adoptive parents that they will not be excluded or made ineligible to foster or adopt based simply on strongly held religious beliefs dealing with sexual orientation or gender identity,” said state Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville.
Senate Bill 658, by Daniels, states that the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) cannot require any current or prospective adoptive or foster parent “to affirm, accept, or support any government policy regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the parent’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs as a condition for eligibility to adopt or foster.”
The legislation also requires that state officials must take “into account the religious or moral beliefs of a particular adoptive or foster child, or his or her family of origin including, but not limited to, the child’s or family’s views regarding sexual orientation and gender identity,” when determining where to place a child.
Daniels noted that Oklahoma “perpetually needs more parents to want to foster or adopt.” By making clear that parents will not face discrimination based on their religious beliefs if they apply, Daniels said the state will avoid unnecessarily reducing the number of parents willing to serve.
