Foster Family Is Denied Newborn Over Religious Convictions Even As State Struggles To Find Enough Homes For Children
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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
An approved foster family in Tennessee was recently denied placement of a newborn in their home due to a state law that the foster parents say discriminates against their religious beliefs. Despite the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) struggling to find enough homes for children in their care – prompting lawmakers to recently approve $19 million in taxpayer dollars for the expansion of institutional space to house kids – the agency will not place children under the age of 18 months with this qualified family unless they abandon their religious convictions regarding vaccinations.
Gail Greene has a degree in Social Work and has experience working with underprivileged children either in state custody or at risk of being removed from their homes. Greene, a stay-at-home mom, along with her husband Derek and their five children, were thrilled when they received a phone call from a local DCS placement specialist at the end of June asking if Gail could pick up a five-day old baby from the hospital.
According to the DCS employee, there were no family members who could care for the child and DCS was having a difficult time finding placements for newborns because most people work and need childcare. Thinking that their religious exemption had waived the vaccine requirements pertaining to children under eighteen months, the Greenes accepted the placement and called on friends and family as they started gathering the necessary items for the baby.
“Within about an hour, I had a newborn carseat, a pack n play, and a friend was buying us newborn diapers. We were ECSTATIC,” said Greene. “We pray with our kids every night that God would place the perfect child in our home for us to love and care for as long as possible. My kids were over the moon excited. It was better than Christmas. We truly believed our religious exemption had been accepted.”
Later that morning, Greene received another phone call from the DCS worker.
“I was expecting her to give me more details about picking up the baby… however, this is not what the call was about,” said Greene. “She asked me if my family had been vaccinated for the flu and pertussis. When I told her we had not, she apologized for the misunderstanding and asked if we would reconsider getting vaccinated because otherwise, she could not place the baby in our home.”
Greene said that the family is sad and confused, but are trusting in God to use what has happened to them and transform it into something good.
The road to becoming foster parents began for the Greenes last October, a seven month process that included submitting a religious exemption to DCS. In the approval letter, the agency stated that the Greene’s home had been approved for foster children eighteen months and older citing federal vaccine standards that DCS says they “must follow.”
“Our Department must follow these regulations. We respect your position and choice not to receive these vaccines, as we hope you will understand our position,” said the letter to the Greenes.
Upon reading the standards, Gail Greene wrote back pointing out that they were “clearly only recommendations” as the document states that “there is no federal requirement for title IV-E agencies to adhere to the final model standards” and such agencies, including Tennessee’s DCS, may waive licensing standards for relatives of children in state custody.
These model standards, last updated in 2019, were preceded by a 60 day comment period beginning August 1st, 2018. The majority of the 1,273 comments came from “private citizens objecting to the proposed model standards regarding immunizations for children who are foster family home members.”
“There are so many good families out there who aren’t willing to foster because of the exact scenario that just played out,” said Greene who is looking to connect with like-minded families before she meets with Tennessee lawmakers later this month.
If you have experienced the same type of religious discrimination from DCS or if you are interested in fostering but haven’t done so because of the vaccine requirements, reach out to Greene at gailgreene@protonmail.com.
“At this point, I just want to get the law changed so that more foster children can be placed in loving homes. It’s a sad state of affairs when DCS is more concerned about my family’s vaccination status than placing a newborn baby in a safe and loving home… not to mention ignoring religious exemptions that are guaranteed by the constitution.”
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
A tragic example of government trying to run our lives to the harm of innocent children. The so-called department of children services is misguided in its mission. To deny a wonderful, Christian family the joy of raising an infant because they don’t follow the government’s recommendations of shots is evil at worst and unconstitutional at best. With all the information we have now of the dangers of these jabs, it is irresponsible for these people to require them.
You do realize the baby would face insurmountable problems when it reached school age as of the long standing law that children must be vaccinated against certain diseases before entering the classroom. I’m eighty years old and well remember several outbreaks of disease including Polio. As a child, I was not allowed off our property because my brother had contracted a disease that, at the time had now vaccine. We were treated much the same way the Covid caused people to be treated. I’m sorry but I must respectfully agree with your stance and theirs. I would think if they agreed to have the baby vaccinated, the problem would be resolved. After what I went through as a child, I make damn sure all my children were vaccinated.
https://kirschsubstack.com/p/vaers-data-shows-that-vaccines-cause?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
But if they were rainbow flag flying pedophiles who would pass the child around to their pedo friends and ‘customers’, no problem.
I am appalled that our state is adhering to the Draconian Covid standards that were being implemented during the Covid-19 Plandemic. This is even worse than firing nurses for refusal to take the experimental jabs that have been shown to be ineffective and result in many dangerous side affects. No one should be forced to take the jabs, especially now when the pandemic is officially over. Who’s running this state?
This has nothing to do, as I read it, with Covid. It is simply seeing to it that children are vaccinated against childhood diseases. I agree the in a very few there will be serious adverse reactions, even the possibility of death. One death is too many but many deaths caused by a preventable disease is criminal. If they don’t want the jab, more power to them. The baby needs to be protected. I agree that taking the Covid vaccination may not be a good idea but it’s not a law that your or anyone else has to take it before it has a much longer track record. Let’s wait until the courts decide the matter.
https://gellerreport.com/2023/07/unvaxxed-amish-death-rates-90-times-lower-than-rest-of-america.html/?lctg=138410161
Ralph,
You would have had, at most, 4 vaccines or so unless and until you entered the military. Take a guess how many “vaccines” are on the CDC Recommended childhood list (which means the vaccine makers have zero liability for damages/deaths). It’s insane. It also includes flu and covid-19. Neither of which work to prevent disease. Take a look. If you had children, you won’t remember about 2/3rds of these – because they didn’t exist.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-child-combined-schedule.pdf
The overload of the adjuvant metals into little infants whose livers are not developed cannot handle the toxic load. Nobody’s brain can handle the metals injected past the blood/brain barrier. That’s why we lead the world in autism rates.
FYI, there has been an exemption to vaccinations for public school students for at least the last 50 years.
There are NO DEATHS of preventable diseases. That is a LIE OUT OF THE PIT by the pharmaceuticals. Check our Children’s Defense Fund. There are NO studies on ANY jabbs….
Sadly there are so many people that refuse to do any research whatsoever regarding vaccines. Mass indoctrination has left a population of sheep who trust doctors who in medical school take one class on vaccines and it is about the schedule not ingredients. Vaccine.guide and icandecide.org are good starting points. The truth about vaccines documentary by Ty and Charlene Bolinger is quite enlightening for those brave enough to think for themselves as well as Vaxxed and Vaxxed 2. I was not always anti-vax but after doing my own research, I sure am now.
Truly sad that Conservatives here don’t understand lucifer’s pharma’s force program.
Ralph Bach, your comments are valid only if there is conclusive evidence that vaccines work. There is not. Look beyond studies done by pharmaceutical companies and studies that have been hidden from the public, and vaccine history tells a very different story. At 80 years of age, you nor your children were required to take 72 doses of vaccines with the list growing every year. Your view is outdated and incorrect. But even if it weren’t, there is so much disagreement on this issue that no one has the right to tell anyone what to do with their children. It’s ridiculous that this is even up for debate.
Our Country is in trouble. If the DHS refuses to place a precious child in custody, of a beautiful family because of vaccines, satan is winning. May the Lord be with us.
Your exactly correct. But a birth mother can sit and hold their newborn with fentanyl or Meth on their hands, and the caseworker just says make sure you give the baby a bath.
DCS is a disaster. I fostered for 4 years. These people are sicker than the disturbed kids they kidnap. They push pills to medicate the kids, 3-4 different prescriptions to keep them calm. And they do not care when homes are boot camps for the money. It is disgusting.