Dear Madam/Sir,

  My name is Donna Parker, and I'm a parent living in Fairfax County.  I'm writing today to urge you to approve regulations that would prohibit adoption agencies from discrimminating against prospective adoptive parents.  

  I feel very strongly that children deserve loving homes, and that we owe it to all those children languishing in uncertainty in our foster care system to find them permanent homes as quickly as possible.  I simply do not understand eliminating large groups of potential parents based on things that have absolutely nothing to do with the actual raising and care of children.  Children flourish in a variety of homes - the only constants are love and good parenting, and the capacity for both of those isn't limited by race, gender, age, politics, affectional preference or  . . . well, anything I can think of, other than intolerance.  

  I urge you all to do what's best for those children, and prohibit these discriminatory policies.  

Sincerely,

Donna F. Parker