As an adoptive mother of two boys, I want to encourage the State Board of Social Services to prohibit state-licensed child placing agencies from discriminating based on based on race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation, disability and family status in providing services to children and prospective foster care and adoptive parents. 

All children need and deserve loving, supportive families. When considering the placement of a child there is no question an effective home study is essentail.  But we can't lose sight of the fact that no one type of family strucutre is uniquely able to provide a loving, safe nurturing environment.  The focus must remain on what's best for the child, not  discriminatory labels placed on the prospective adoptive/foster homes by others.

I hope you will act in the best interest of Virginia's children in need by prohibiting discrimination in placement of foster and adoptive children. 

Thank you for considering,

Sue Thomas