A comprehensive report of U.S. adoption statistics by the National Council for Adoption.
Opioid Crisis and Faith-Based Adoption and Foster Care Providers
Our country is the midst of opioid crisis. An average of 116 Americans die each day from drug abuse. In addition to this tragic loss of life, the epidemic is impacting children whose parents struggle with abuse. In 2016, over 92,000 kids entered the foster care system because of drug abuse by a parent, and the numbers keep increasing.
During this critical time, it is imperative to have as many people and organizations working to help traumatized children find a home and a family. Across the country, faith-based foster care providers are answering the call by recruiting and training families to welcome foster care children into their homes. But their ability to continue providing these much needed services is in jeopardy from government officials who seek to ban faith-based providers unless they are willing to act contrary to their religious beliefs. That is why laws that protect the freedom of all providers to continue to serve their communities are needed—to ensure that as many organizations are working to help the kids hurt by the opioid crisis.
Below you will find two resources that provide more information on this crisis and why it’s important to protect faith-based adoption and foster care providers from government discrimination.
The Opioid Crisis: Why we need to protect
adoption and foster care providers
Opioid Prescription Rates And
Child Removals: Evidence From Florida
The Role of Faith-Based Agencies in Child Welfare
Faith-based organizations have been a cornerstone of the child welfare system for decades, with many modern agencies tracing their roots back over 100 years. While the government has increased its involvement in the caretaking of vulnerable children over the past several decades, states still rely heavily on faith-based agencies (FBAs). It is common for states to contract with private child welfare agencies—including FBAs—for services like foster care, adoption, and recruitment of foster and adoptive families. Many communities rely heavily on the contribution and work of FBAs. However, in some areas FBAs have been forced to discontinue their foster and adoption services due to regulations that would require them to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.