Des Moines, Iowa (RI) — A bill that has cleared the legislature says Iowans cannot be excluded from adopting or becoming foster parents because of their beliefs about sexual orientation or gender identity.
Representative Craig Williams, a Republican from Manning, says the new policy will likely lead to an increase in the number of foster care families in the state.
Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat from Ames who opposes the bill, says it prioritizes an adult’s beliefs over a child who is LGBTQ.
Representative Aime Wichtendahl, a Democrat from Hiawatha, says state policy should protect LGBTQ children who have been rejected by their biological parents and are in the foster care system.
Williams says the bill’s final version is a compromise among stakeholders, including state officials and the conservative evangelical organization known as The Family Leader.
The bill was first proposed last year and won final passage in the House and Senate this week.
KIWA Staff Photo
