I believe that the best interests of the child should be the sole factor in deciding whether a child should be placed with a prospective foster care or adoptive parent or parents. 

I believe that State-licensed child placing agencies should not be allowed to discriminate against children or prospective parents based on race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation, disability and family status.

Because I believe that discrimination by adoption agencies is unacceptable, I urge the Board to restore to the final rules the protections against such discrimination that were included in the proposed rules.

Howard Hjort