I would like to strongly support the Board of Social Services vote last spring to maintain the current regulations for child placement.  A small number of states have amended their regulations to "protect" the interests of controversial, non-traditional "families," even though study after study has shown that the traditional family unit is by far the healthiest model for a child to grow up in.  

Furthermore, expanding these regulations in a direction that directly confronts the deeply held convictions of millions and millions of Americans does nothing but threaten the very agencies who do so much good in our state.  It was not too long ago that this social experiment was held in Boston, with the largest adoption provider in the state - the Catholic Church - having to stop providing adoption services at all.  Who is going to shoulder that burden if something similar happens in Virginia?  Do we really want the state taking that over, with all the expenses involved and special needs required?  Does our state stand for the breaching of conscience rights, as well as the governmental takeover of private services?  Or do we stand for the freedom of conscience and of religion, and the notion that where government NEEDN'T replace private enterprise, it shouldn't?