Homeless Teen's Potential Foster Parents Deserve Medal, Not Hate

by Josie Raymond · 2010-11-11 06:19:00 UTC
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More bad news on the foster care front. Or rather, bad news about a would-be foster care placement. Lutheran Child Family Services, an organization in Illinois that received $20 million from the state last year, declined to place a homeless 15-year-old boy named "Kenny" with an enthusiastic and welcoming couple — just because they're gay.

Fred Steinhauer and Matt Nalett of Chicago began the process of certification, home inspection, therapist meetings and all. They were obviously committed and caring. Then they got handed a piece of paper with a statement saying the agency "will not develop or license adoptive or foster care families who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning."

The story comes from the Gay Rights blog, which documents not only why it's wrong but why it might be just plain illegal for the organization to flout state anti-discrimination laws, especially while it's raking in taxpayer dollars. This has to be the silliest example of foster care discrimination since the Maryland mom who happened to be a Muslim and wasn't granted foster care certification because she didn't serve pork in her home.

Lest the fear be that this needy child would be uncomfortable, it's worth noting that he identifies himself as gay. And he already knows Nalett, who does outreach work with homeless youth. Everyone involved knows that finding people excited about welcoming a gay teenager who has run away is beyond difficult. The good news is that "Kenny" is being transferred to a different child welfare agency that doesn't discriminate, and that Steinhauer and Nalett are again beginning the process to become his guardians.

The bad news is that Lutheran Child Family Services might get away with this. Don't let them! Send a clear message that gay foster parents are a much better option than homelessness.

Photo credit: Mike Fryer

Josie Raymond is a Change.org editor who has reported from the streets of the South Bronx, written for several magazines that folded (not her fault) and fixed thousands of typos.

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