Adoption STAR Recognized by Human Rights Campaign Foundation for LGBTQ-Inclusion Efforts

Cincinnati, OH, June 07, 2020 --(PR.com)-- Today, Adoption STAR, a non-profit adoption agency, proudly announced that it was recognized in the top tier of organizations celebrated in the Human Rights Campaign’s Change-Makers in Child Welfare 2020. This report highlights the HRC Foundation’s All Children - All Families (ACAF) program’s partnership with 100 organizations across the country which are working to improve the services they provide to the LGBTQ community. Program participants serve children in foster care as well as prospective foster and adoptive parents. Collectively, these organizations serve more than 600,000 clients annually in 28 states and employ more than 15,000 workers.

Michele Fried, Adoption STAR founder and CEO stated, “Every year more than 30 percent of our LGBTQ+ clients adopt, and we wish to see that increase. Many Adoption STAR employees and the Board of Directors proudly represent the LGBTQ+ community. We welcome and encourage LGBTQ+ individuals and families to work with Adoption STAR.”

HRC President Alphonso David stated, “The organizations highlighted in this report are working with the Human Rights Campaign to ensure anti-LGBTQ bias does not get in the way of life-saving services for children and families. This work is more acute given the Trump-Pence administration's relentless attacks on LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities. We hope the stories shared in the report provide hope and inspiration to the children, as well as the policy makers pushing for progress during these challenging, unprecedented times.”

The agencies featured in this report conducted an internal self-assessment, provided professional development to staff, and implemented ACAF’s “Benchmarks of LGBTQ Inclusion,” which track policy and practice changes within agencies. Change-Makers in Child Welfare 2020 features three “Tiers of Recognition” which celebrate the strides agencies have made toward becoming fully LGBTQ welcoming and affirming. The Innovative Inclusion tier was awarded to 39 organizations, including Adoption STAR, who met all 25 criteria and are going beyond to innovate their services for LGBTQ youth and families. Fifty-five other organizations reached the second and third tiers, known as the Solid and Building Foundation tiers for Inclusion. Each have non-discrimination practices in place.

“The Trump Administration is asking the Supreme Court to rule in favor of religious organizations being able to deny LGBTQ+ applicants for adoption,” reports Michael Hill, Adoption STAR Associate Director. Mr. Hill and his husband adopted two children through Adoption STAR before Mr. Hill became the organization’s Associate Director. “LGBTQ families and individuals continue to be discriminated against. Adoption STAR would like to see Congress include sexual orientation and gender identity to existing civil rights legislation. This is why our HRC All Children All Families partnership is so important.”