Children understand love; they do not understand discrimination.  They deserved to be loved.  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

 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.  Too many children are waiting for loving families to allow this kind of discrimination to occur and certainly not sanctioned by the Commonwealth.

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