Resolution Supporting Foster Care and Adoption

Participate in the Electoral Process!

  1. Vote March 7th
  2. Attend your precinct convention Tuesday evening
  3. Introduce pro-equality resolutions for your party's platform

Help promote equality by introducing pro-equality resolutions at your precinct convention. Approved resolutions ultimately determine your political party's state platform.  You can help shape the party platform by participating in the resolution process.

After clicking the "Take Action" button, you will be able to download and print the Resolution Supporting Foster Care and Adoption to take to your precinct convention.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: RESOLUTION SUPPORTING FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

WHEREAS, the number of neglected and abused children placed in foster care each year, and the number of children awaiting adoption, far exceeds the number of available homes for placement, and

WHEREAS, foster care and adoption placements are best made on a case-by-case basis by qualified medical and legal authorities giving paramount consideration to the best interest of each child, and

WHEREAS, decades of studies and research have found that gay and lesbian parents are equally adept as heterosexual parents, and that children thrive in gay and lesbian-parented families. The APA reports, "Not a single study has found children of gay or lesbian parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents.", and

WHEREAS, the majority of prominent children's advocacy, mental health, and medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Psychological Association, Child Welfare League of America, American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, North American Council on Adoptable Children, and the National Association of Social Workers support the ability of lesbian and gay families to adopt and foster children, and

WHEREAS, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) parents can and do provide loving and safe homes for children who would otherwise be placed in a severely overburdened foster care system, and

WHEREAS, a prohibition on LGBT foster care and adoption would needlessly diminish the number of available homes, and tear children away from nurturing families, thereby violating the rights and best interest of the child,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Texas __________ Party endorses policies that will protect all Texas families and children, including same-gender parented families, and will not restrict or eliminate LGBT families' foster care or adoption rights.

Adopted by Precinct #___________ in Senatorial District #_______ of _____________ County, Texas on March 7, 2006.

_____________________________

Precinct Chair #________________

______________ County, Texas Telephone: ___________________

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
March 03, 2006


Background Information

Resolution Supporting Foster Care and Adoption

Texas uses the convention system to adopt resolutions for the state party platform.  The first stage in the convention process is the precinct convention.

In order to attend the precinct convention, all you need to do is vote, and then show up at your primary voting location after the polls close at 7p.m. on Tuesday, March 7th.  Once you attend the precinct convention, you are eligible to attend the Senate/County and State conventions.

WHEN: Precinct conventions are Tuesday, March 7th, at 7:15 p.m. in the building where your precinct has voted on election day.  A notice should be posted at the polls to announce the meeting, and election judges should be onsite to assist.

WHY: The precinct convention approves resolutions that can, ultimately, determine the state party platform.  The convention also elects delegates for the next level in the convention process, the Senate/County convention.

WHO: Anyone who has voted in the party primary can participate in that party's precinct convention.

You can help promote pro-equality resolutions for your party's platform.  To ensure that resolutions reach the state convention and are adopted, it is important to get as many people as possible to submit the same resolution at each level of the convention process.

There will be a Resolutions Committee at both the Senate/County Convention and the State Convention.  Become a member of the Resolutions Committee, or ask them to promote the pro-equality resolutions.