May 8, 2020
This afternoon, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a final rule change that will end data collection regarding the sexual orientation of foster children and foster and adoptive parents in the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). Christina Wilson Remlin, lead counsel at Children’s Rights, who recently spoke with members of the administration urging them to withdraw the proposed rule change, said this:
Stripping sexual orientation data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System is a huge mistake that will harm the children we serve. Thorough and accurate data is critical to ensuring that safety, permanency, and well-being remain the top priorities for children in out-of-home care. This latest onslaught against facts puts politics over the best interests of children and makes LGBTQ youth and their outcomes invisible.