Religious Exemptions in Adoption and Foster Care (HB 1316, HB 1389)

HB 11316: Child welfare provider protections, authored by Rep. Robert Heaton
Status: Failed

HB 1389: Adoption and foster care matters, authored by Rep. Shane Lindauer
Status: Passed the House

While these bills are framed as protecting faith-based organizations, prospective foster parents, and prospective adoptive parents from “discrimination,” they could prevent the state from making placement decisions based on child safety and welfare.

For example, LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately represented in foster care and face heightened risks of rejection, abuse, and homelessness. Broad religious exemptions increase the likelihood that these children will be placed in non-affirming homes, undermining their safety, dignity, and mental health.

The ACLU of Indiana strongly supports the right of Hoosiers to their sincerely held religious beliefs, but that right must not come at the expense of vulnerable children. We oppose this bill because when it comes to foster care and adoption, the best interests of the child are the most important factors.