The United States of America has a history of providing its citizens with the freedom to make choices. The State of Virginia is one of the original colonies who led the way in providing the foundation for the freedoms of its citizens and respecting the freedom to make choices. One of the choices is the freedom to choose any or no religion. Changes are being considered that would have a negative impact on the ability of faith-based agencies to license adoptive families. The resulting restrictions would violate the religious freedom of those organizations and would deprive families of the ability to choose agencies that have a specific religious-based mission.  

Faith-based agencies have been a critical part of the Virginia human services community for centuries. They are uniquely qualified to license families who regard the best interests of child from a physical, psychological and spiritual perspective. Thousands of children have benfitted from that approach in the course of Virginia's history. To dilute or eliminate the resources of such religious-based organizations is to take a giant step backward for children and families in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

This action does not make sense and flies in the face of all the US and Virgina stand for. This effort should be repudiated so that Virginians will continue to be a place where the freedoms and choices of its citizens are upheld and respected.