SOCIETY FOR HUMANISTIC JUDAISM DENOUNCES DISCRIMINATION IN FOSTER CARE SYSTEM

The Society for Humanistic Judaism (SHJ) believes that entities receiving federally-funded assistance should not be allowed to discriminate based on religion. SHJ condemns any waivers provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that allow child welfare organizations receiving federal funds to discriminate against foster parents based on religion.

SHJ believes every child deserves a loving and supportive home. Discriminating based on religion arbitrarily denies vulnerable children a better life. Such discrimination is especially egregious when taxpayer money is directly being used to facilitate it, hurting minority religions and defenseless children. Accordingly, SHJ calls for the DHHS to cease granting such waivers, which undermine a fundamental tenet of our democracy: separation of church and state.

— Dated February 28, 2019, in response to the recent waiver granted by DHHS to Miracle Hill Ministries of South Carolina, allowing them to discriminate against potential LGBTQ, Jewish, or Catholic potential adoptive parents, or anyone else who doesn’t share their specific brand of protestant Christian beliefs.

– February 2019