The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 1000 traditional rabbis in matters of public policy, hailed today’s announcement of a new proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, ensuring the ability of faith-based foster care and adoption providers to continue to serve children in need of these services. The new rule does away with provisions added in the waning days of the previous administration which forced organizations to violate their religious beliefs if they wished to continue providing foster care services. The CJV had previously pointed out that those provisions “not only violate religious freedom, but also grievously harm children in need of loving homes.”

“The new proposed rule is a win for all Americans, and especially for vulnerable children in need of foster care services,” said Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, East Coast regional vice president of the CJV. “That a religious organization should be able to serve the public while acting in accordance with its beliefs is a key part of religious freedom.”

The CJV wrote to HHS Secretary Alex Azar in January, urging a change of this nature. “As we said in our letter,” explained Rabbi Yaakov Menken, Managing Director of the CJV, ‘the provisions added in early 2017 exact a direct human toll specifically from America’s most vulnerable children: those who lack parents able to care for and raise them into adulthood.’ It is clearly in the public interest that this be reversed, and we thank the HHS for acting in a way that clearly benefits all Americans.”