Costly Results of Banning Gay Parenting

An economic argument can be made for allowing gay foster and adoptive parenting. If states enact laws that prevent adoptions by LGB people, the children placed with existing foster parents would be removed from those families. According to the Williams Institute, at the UCLA Law School, an estimated 9,300 to 14,000 U.S. children would be displaced, and the move would cost the foster care system approximately $130 million.

In addition to the financial impact, displacement for children in foster care can lead to psychological harm. Fewer foster care placements are associated with better school achievement, greater life satisfaction, and greater overall stability. Furthermore, moving a foster child from household to household leads to higher rates of juvenile detention.

Half a million children are in foster care now, and 100,000 children waiting to be adopted.