Americans United applauded the June 5 introduction of the Every Child Deserves a Family (ECDF) Act, proposed legislation that will ensure that taxpayer-funded adoption, foster care and child welfare agencies don’t discriminate against children, families and individuals on the basis of religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status.

Government must not fund a private entity’s religiously motivated discrimination. Nor may government grant special religious exceptions from a law when it would cause harm to others, such as same-sex couples who want to become foster parents and the children in need of homes.

Miracle Hill Ministries – a taxpayer-funded foster-care agency in South Carolina – claims its policy of turning away prospective parents and volunteers who aren't evangelical Christians is good for kids. In reality, the agency is dramatically reducing the pool of people who can help a child who needs a home.