than 3,400 children are currently in foster placements with same-sex couples. Another 22,000 children are being raised by same-sex adoptive couples. If other States followed the minority of States and discriminated against qualified individuals because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status, foster care expenditures would increase between $87,000,000 and $130,000,000 per year in order to pay for additional institutional and group care, as well as to recruit and train new foster and adoptive parents. (12) Some States allow 1 member of an unmarried couple to adopt, but do not recognize both members of the unmarried couple as the child’s legal parents. Recognition of joint adoption by unmarried couples provides children with the same rights and security that children of married parents enjoy. These protections include access to both parents’ health benefits, survivor’s, Social Security, and child support entitlements, legal grounds for either parent to provide consent for medical care, education, and other important decisions, as well as the establishment of permanency for parents and child. (13) Professional organizations in the fields of medicine, psychology, law, and child welfare have taken official positions in support of the ability of qualified gay, lesbian, bisexual, and unmarried couples to foster and adopt a child, as supported by scientific research showing sexual orientation as a nondeterminative factor in parental success. (14) Discrimination against potential foster or adoptive parents based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status is not in the best interests of children in the foster care system. (b) Purposes The purposes of this Act are to decrease the length of time that children wait for permanency with a loving family and to promote the best interests of children in the child welfare system by preventing discrimination in adoption and foster care placements based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. 3. Every child deserves a family