Please consider the following in your legislation -- families that are caring, supportive and loving are what counts for children. 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. Love makes a family -- not the gender/sexuality of the parents. 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. 

Finally, the State Board of Social Services should restore to the final rules the protections against such discrimination included in the proposed rules.