Taking Action on Act 1 in Arkansas

Stand Up, Fight Back, and Share Your Story

As you’ve probably heard, Election Day in Arkansas this year brought some sad news. Act 1, which bans unmarried couples from serving as foster parents or adopting children, passed.

But here at the ACLU, we’re not ones to sit around mourning our losses. Along with our allies in Arkansas, we’re figuring out what next steps we’ll take in order to win over public opinion and fight back against this initiative.

If you feel that you, your family, or someone you know may be hurt by Act 1, then we want to hear from you. We especially urge anyone who will be immediately harmed by the ban to contact us. For example:

• Families who may be forced to have current foster children leave their home.
• Any parent who, in the event of an emergency, wants his or her children to be adopted by a friend or family member who is unmarried and living with his or her partner.
• Children in state care who need foster or adoptive homes.
• The friends and family of children who need a good home who are willing and able to take care of them but are now ineligible to foster or adopt under the new law.
• Families who want to adopt or foster children but can’t due to the law.

Please email us to share your story. Your personal testimony will help us organize against this initiative so families in Arkansas can stay together, and so that the 3,700 children currently in state custody in Arkansas have the best possible chance of finding a good home.

If you have questions about how the ban could affect you or your loved ones, the ACLU of Arkansas has prepared an FAQ on the initiative – check it out here.

Want to learn more about the rights of LGBT parents? Please visit Get Busy, Get Equal!