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Trend Watch – Five States Seek To Provide Faith-Based Adoption Protections To Date

According to this article, the count is up to five.  Five states now provide or are moving forward to providing for faith-based religious protections for adoption agencies which place a child’s needs and best interest below the religiously held beliefs of the adoption agency.  Essentially allowing an adoption agency to ignore a child’s best interests over religiously held beliefs.

The five states are:  Alabama (passed on May 3, 2017), South Dakota (passed in March 2017), Virginia (passed in 2012), Texas (pending legislation), and Oklahoma (pending legislation).

Georgia was moving in this direction, but the bill died when the legislature adjourned without acting on it in March 2017. 

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Virginia -> Concerns Raised Over Ten-Year Wait For Ex-Felons To Adopt

According to this article, a person convicted of a felony must wait ten years to adopt in Virginia; however,  other states near Virginia only require a five-year waiting period after a felony conviction to adopt.  

The article questions whether a set waiting period is really in a child’s best interest and suggests a solution of permitting Judges to make determinations on a case-by-case basis.

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