John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act aims to eliminate discrimination within the national foster care and adoption systems. If enacted, the bill would prohibit any child welfare service provider that receives federal funding from denying a person the opportunity to become a foster or adoptive parent based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or marital status. It also proposes similar protections for children in the system, ensuring they cannot be discriminated against based on these same characteristics.

Beyond non-discrimination requirements, the legislation seeks to improve the overall well-being of LGBTQ+ youth in the child welfare system. It proposes the creation of a National Resource Center to provide guidance on supporting these children and would ban the use of conversion therapy by federally funded providers. The bill also aims to increase the total number of available foster and adoptive homes by removing existing barriers that currently prevent many qualified individuals and couples from participating in the system.