A bill sitting in the U.S. House would force faith-based adoption agencies to choose between closing their doors and violating their religious beliefs. Catholic Charities, the largest private network of social service organizations in the nation, has already ended adoption services in several cities in Illinois because of such restrictions.

The Every Child Deserves a Family Act would force any group that receives federal aid to place kids in foster families and adoptive families without regard to the sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status of the prospective parents.

Gay activists and their allies claim the legislation is the key to finding homes for waiting children. Yet, in 2009, a record 57,000 U.S. kids in foster care found families, up from 37,000 in 1998, according to a recent Child Trends study. Researchers also found that the number of children waiting for adoption fell to a record low of 115,000 in 2009, down from 135,000 three years earlier.

(WNS)