Private adoption agencies with State contracts must adhere to State laws and regulations without exception. Private adoption agencies should not be allowed to discriminate based on religious or other views that collide with State laws or regulations.

To allow illegal discrimination in adoption would disfranchise the affected groups from fully participating in benefiting the State by providing good homes for adoptable children and reduce the supply of adoptable homes that are reportedly in short supply. It would also put the State in the position of financially supporting certain religious views and discriminatory activities which is a very dangerous position for any clear-thinking progressive democracy.

I adopted a 9 year-old girl from DSS (Massachusetts) in 1992. My religious views were not considered and they should not have been.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my views on this subject.