(8) Professional organizations that serve chil-
dren in the fields of medicine, psychology, law, and 
child welfare oppose discrimination against prospec-
tive parents in adoption and foster care. 
(9) Religious organizations play a critical role 
in providing child welfare services. Most welcome all 
children, youth, and families and affirm a diversity 
of religions and faiths. State assessments, planning, 
and counseling should connect children and youth 
for whom spirituality and religion are important 
with affirming, faith-based resources consistent with 
the faith of the child or youth. 
(10) Child welfare agencies that refuse to serve 
same-sex couples and LGBTQ individuals reduce the 
pool of qualified and available homes for children 
and youth who need placement on a temporary or 
permanent basis. 
(A) Same-sex couples are 7 times more 
likely to foster and adopt than their different- 
sex counterparts. 
(B) Same-sex couples raising adopted chil-
dren tend to be older than, just as educated as, 
and have access to the same economic resources 
as other adoptive parents. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:16 Dec 03, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6181.IH
H6181
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(C) Research shows that sexual orientation 
is a nondeterminative factor in parental success 
and that children with same-sex parents have 
the same advantages and expectations for 
health, social, and psychological development as 
children whose parents are different-sex. 
(D) Discrimination against qualified pro-
spective foster and adoptive parents for non- 
merit related reasons denies religious minority, 
LGBTQ, and unmarried relatives the oppor-
tunity to become foster and adoptive parents 
for their own kin in care, including grand-
children. 
(11) LGBTQ families of origin are at risk for 
discrimination in child welfare referrals, investiga-
tions, removals, reunification, kinship placements, 
and other case management services. A study of low- 
income African-American mothers showed that those 
who identified as lesbian or bisexual were 4 times 
more likely than their non-LGBTQ counterparts to 
lose custody of their children in child welfare pro-
ceedings. LGBTQ-positive services are necessary to 
shield families and protect parents’ rights to reunifi-
cation. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:16 Dec 03, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6181.IH
H6181
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(12) Single people are more likely than couples 
to experience challenges in adopting due to biases 
that persist against single-parent adoption. During 
fiscal year 2022, 29 percent of adoptions from foster 
care were completed by unmarried single people, in-
cluding adoptions by some 2,000 single men and 
more than 13,000 single women. Studies show that 
the outcomes for children adopted and raised by sin-
gle parents are just as good as, if not better than, 
outcomes for children adopted by couples. 
(13) More nationwide data about the experi-
ences of LGBTQ children and youth involved with 
child welfare services is needed to understand fully 
the extent and impact of discrimination and ensure 
accountability. States must report and researchers 
must collect this sensitive data in an ethical, affirm-
ing, and non-intrusive manner, with appropriate 
safeguards to protect respondents. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to prohibit discrimination on the basis of re-
ligion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender 
identity), and marital status in the administration 
and provision of child welfare services that receive 
Federal funds; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:16 Dec 03, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6181.IH
H6181
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(2) to improve safety, well-being, and perma-
nency for LGBTQ children and youth involved with 
child welfare services. 
SEC. 3. EVERY CHILD DESERVES A FAMILY. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—No child or youth involved with 
child welfare services, family, or individual shall, on the 
grounds of religion, sex (including sexual orientation and 
gender identity), or marital status, be excluded from par-
ticipation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to dis-
crimination in the administration or provision of child wel-
fare programs and services by a covered entity. 
(b) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.—Any individual who 
is aggrieved by a violation of this Act may bring a civil 
action seeking relief in an appropriate United States dis-
trict court. The court shall award a plaintiff prevailing in 
such an action all appropriate relief, including injunctive, 
declaratory, and other equitable relief necessary to carry 
out this Act, attorneys’ fees, and such other relief as the 
court determines appropriate. 
(c) FEDERAL GUIDANCE.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall publish and disseminate guidance with respect to 
compliance with this Act. 
(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—In order to ensure 
compliance with and understanding of the legal, practice, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:16 Dec 03, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6181.IH
H6181
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
and cultural changes required by this Act, the Secretary 
shall provide technical assistance to all covered entities, 
including— 
(1) identifying State laws and regulations in-
consistent with this Act, and providing guidance and 
training to ensure the State laws and regulations are 
brought into compliance with this Act by the appli-
cable compliance deadline in effect under subsection 
(h); 
(2) identifying casework practices and proce-
dures inconsistent with this Act and providing guid-
ance and training to ensure the practices and proce-
dures are brought into compliance with this Act by 
the applicable compliance deadline; 
(3) providing guidance in expansion of recruit-
ment efforts to ensure consideration of all prospec-
tive adoptive and foster parents regardless of the re-
ligion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender 
identity), or marital status of the prospective parent; 
(4) creating comprehensive cultural competency 
training for covered entities and prospective adoptive 
and foster parents; and 
(5) training judges and attorneys involved in 
foster care, guardianship, and adoption cases on the 
findings and purposes of this Act. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:16 Dec 03, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6181.IH
H6181
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS