Drummond Street and VAC to Offer Adoption Service If Others Fail

With the recent Australian Christian Lobby warning that faith-based adoption agencies
may cease to operate unless they’re granted the right to refuse same-sex couples, both the Victorian AIDS
Council (VAC) and Drummond Street Services have stepped up to say they’d be willing to offer an adoption
service that doesn’t discriminate if the need arises.
“If an adoption service can’t operate without permission to discriminate against potential parents from
a gender, sex, or sexually diverse background, then it’s not a service that the state of Victoria should be
supporting - whether that’s through financial support or by being granted an exemption,” said VAC CEO
Simon Ruth. “VAC will do everything it can to support the diverse community it serves. If that means
setting up an adoption agency to support potential rainbow families, we’ll work with community partners
to make that happen.”
Commited to programs and services that ensure the wellbeing of Victorian families, Drummond Street
Services has come forward to say it would work with VAC if such a need arose.
“In a time when so many children desperately need to be placed in alternative permanent, safe and
nurturing families, faith-based organisations seeking to discriminate against same-sex loving adult couples
who are willing to provide such support, seems ludicrous and offensive,” said Drummond Street CEO Karen
Field. “Asking for protection in order to maintain their prejudicial and homophobic beliefs in this day and
age is insulting and, I would have thought, contrary to good Christian values.”
Field went on to say, “It is unfortunate that the Royal Commission provides ample examples where the
unfettered protection faith-based organisations have enjoyed, and have asked to be continued, has at
times been at the detriment of children in their care. In addition, proposed changes to the Adoption Act by
the Victorian government is merely seeking to both acknowledge and keep pace with the rich and diverse
family forms in contemporary Australia life.”