By a unanimous voice vote, General Synod 28 delegates approved a resolution supporting “The Right of LGBT Persons to Adopt and RaiseChildren.”

In presenting the resolution to plenary, the Rev. Susan Artt of St. Paul UCC in Nashville, Ill., emphasized that today more than 460,000 children in the United States live in group or foster homes – and that each year 25,000 foster children “age out” of the foster care system.

“We need parents!” exclaimed another delegate, a former group home executive.

Before adopting the resolution, delegates added one amendment, urging UCC health and human service agencies to honor the right of LGBT persons to adopt.