House of Representatives Peter Stark (Democrat-California) introduced a bill last week called: “The Every Child Deserves a Family Act” (H.R. 4806).  According to the ACLU’s website this legislation “would help to reduce the number of children languishing in state-run facilities by providing them with loving, permanent home.”  

It sounds like a family value legislation, except that it does the opposite.  Congressman Stark’s legislation aims at limiting federal funding to states that prohibit adoption and foster care placement based on the potential parents’ sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status.

That means Florida.  We are the only state in the union that specifically prohibits gays, lesbians and transgender from adopting children.  We in Florida believe in “Family Values,” that of a man and a woman raising a family or single mothers and fathers doing the same.

Now with this legislation the Federal government will violate our state’s rights.  We must continue the fight to preserve our Family Values and stop folks like Congressman Peter Stark from destroying the very fabric of our society.

It is estimated that at any given time, there are roughly 500,000 children in the child welfare system, with 125,000 waiting to be adopted.  What we need is a better system to allow parents to adopt children.  We need to strengthen our foster care system and advance child welfare by providing members of our society with a greater opportunity to attain the stability of a permanent home with loving parents.

Congressman Stark, our Florida State Laws with regards to adoption are working.  We don’t need you from California or D.C. to tell us to how to legislate in Florida.