Out Rep. Angie Craig reintroduces bill to protect LGBTQ+ foster kids from rampant discriminationhttps://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/11/out-rep-angie-craig-reintroduces-bill-to-protect-lgbtq-foster-kids-from-rampant-discrimination/ 🔗Molly Sprayregen (24 Nov 2025)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and four House lawmakers – including out Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) – just introduced a bill to implement anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ foster youth and LGBTQ+ couples who want to adopt.
The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act (ECDFA) seeks to ban discrimination by any child welfare agency receiving federal funds. It would also ban foster caretakers from putting their young LGBTQ+ wards in so-called conversion therapy (which the bill describes as "a form of discrimination that harms LGBTQ people").
The bill also would create a National Resource Center on Safety, Well-Being, Placement Stability, and Permanency for LGBTQ Children and Youth Involved With Child Welfare Services The legislation also mandates more data collection about LGBTQ youth in foster care "to understand fully the extent and impact of discrimination and ensure accountability."
LGBTQ+ youth, the bill explains, "are overrepresented in the foster care system by at least a factor of two, comprising at least 30% of children and youth in foster care. These numbers are higher for transgender and non-binary youth compared to their cisgender LGBQ counterparts."
Currently, 15 states allow child welfare agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ+ kids and families based on religion (three of those states only allow it for those that do not receive state funding).
