Every Child Deserves a Family Act

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act is a federal bill, reintroduced across recent sessions of Congress, that would prohibit any child welfare agency receiving federal funding from turning away qualified foster or adoptive parents because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, sex, or marital status. Supporters, including the Human Rights Campaign and sponsors like Rep. Judy Chu, argue it protects children in foster care by widening the pool of loving homes available to them. The bill responds to laws in more than a dozen states that let taxpayer-funded agencies refuse placements with LGBTQ+ families or make them jump through extra hoops. It also protects LGBTQ+ youth already in the system from discriminatory treatment.