Michigan AG Decision Means Less Michigan Children Will Be Adopted & Fostered

The consequences of Michigan’s Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel decision will have an ultimate effect that will hurt the most vulnerable in our state, the children.

For the Democrat Party to say they are the party of the less advantage in this country I would have to say this proves that to be a total fallacy.

The Detroit News is reporting that Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel has decided to settle a lawsuit with the ACLU that challenged faith-based adoption agencies that refused to place foster and adoptive children with same sex couples.

AG Nessel agreed the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will be required to maintain what they are calling non-discriminatory provisions in foster care and adoption agency contracts.   AG Nessel also agreed that Michigan will end all state contracts with agencies if they refuse to place children with same-sex couples in state-contracted cases.

Back in 2017 the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a lawsuit on behalf of Kristy and Dana Dumont of Dimondale and Erin and Rebecca Busk Sutton of Detroit.  These women wanted to adopt a child out of the Michigan’s foster care system, there were apparently some agencies that rejected their claim on the grounds of religious objections for same-sex couples.  These two couples could have gone to any other non-faith based agency to adopt a child but apparently did not want to or were seeking to cause a case.

Who do you think this will hurt the most, the faith based agencies or the children.

You know the answer.

Leslie Cooper, deputy director of the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project said in a statement that his win is a win for 12,000 Michigan children in the foster care system:

When agencies choose to accept taxpayer dollars to provide public child welfare services, they must put the needs of the children first

The needs of the children will not be met if these agencies decide that cannot go against their religious beliefs.  That being said how can this be a win for 12,000 Michigan children, it is in effect a loss.

Is this was Kristy and Dana Dumont of Dimondale and Erin and Rebecca Busk Sutton of Detroit wanted, less agencies willing to work to place parentless children in the foster care system?

Lori Windham a lawyer representing St. Vincent Catholic Charities maintained the settlement violates a Michigan law enacted in 2015.  That law banned the state from taking adverse action against an agency that declined to provide services based on religious beliefs. Ms. Windham stated:

The Michigan AG and the ACLU are trying to stop the state from working with faith-based adoption agencies…The result of that will be tragic. Thousands of children will be kept from finding the loving homes they deserve.

Michigan’s Attorney General released a statement last Friday that said:

Discrimination in the provision of foster care case management and adoption services is illegal, no matter the rationale…Limiting the opportunity for a child to be adopted or fostered by a loving home not only goes against the state’s goal of finding a home for every child, it is a direct violation of the contract every child placing agency enters into with the state.

Well Ms. Nessel with your decision you have just limited the opportunity for a child to be adopted or fostered by a loving home here in Michigan.

These children of Michigan I would assume would not say thank you to you.

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