I am a concerned voter living in Virginia, and I feel strongly about the issue about to discussed at the State Board of Social Services concerning anti-discrimination adoption policies. I believe we can agree that all children deserve a loving, forever family, and this statement is true for the more than 1,000 children waiting to be adopted in Virginia. In this regard, there should be no discrimination against prospective adoptive parents based on gender, age, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation, disability, or family status. Decisions about prospective parents should be based on the best interest of the child, not on discriminatory factors unrelated to good parenting. Please consider the child, not politics or outdated thinking, when you discuss the anti-discrimination policies. These children need good homes, so please give more prospective parents the opportunity to take them in.

Thank you for allowing the public to voice their opinion. I hope you all do the right thing for Virginia's children.