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WEBVTT FROM A COMMISSION THAT WRAPPED UP ITS WORK BACK IN JANUARY. CAROL: A SIMPSONVILLE WOMAN SAYS BEING THE QUOTE, “WRONG KIND OF CHRISTIAN” PREVENTED HER FROM FOSTER PARENTING. AIMEE MADDONNA HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT. MADDONNA SAYS MIRACLE HILL ENCOURAGED HER TO BECOME A FOSTER PARENT, BUT WHEN THE AGENCY FOUND OUT SHE WAS CATHOLIC, THEY TURNED HER AWAY. THE LAWSUIT SAYS INSTEAD OF DENOUNCING RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNOR MCMASTER SUPPORTED IT. MIRACLE HILL WAS GRANTED A WAIVER THIS YEAR. THIS LAWSUIT CHALLENGES

Advertisement Upstate woman says being ‘wrong kind of Christian’ prevented foster parenting; lawsuit filed Lawsuit filed against state, federal officials on behalf of Aimee Maddonna Share Shares Copy Link Copy

An Upstate woman says a local ministry that arranges foster parenting disqualified her family because “they weren’t the right kind of Christians,” and she is suing the federal and state governments, which she says supported the religious discrimination.Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a federal lawsuit Friday for Aimee Maddonna, a mother of three from Simpsonville.Maddonna said she and her family had been told by Miracle Hill Ministries they were a great fit to help foster care children. But when the agency asked what church they attended and learned the family is Catholic, Miracle Hill turned the Maddonnas away, saying they will only work with evangelical Protestants, not Catholics, Jews or people of any other faith. Maddonna says her desire to help foster care children was instilled by her father, who grew up in foster care and orphanages. She said, as an adult, her father wanted to provide foster kids with a better experience than he had, so he welcomed hundreds of the most vulnerable foster children into his home, providing Aimee with many brothers and sisters, some for just a few days, some for months or longer. Even though the family wasn’t wealthy, it made sure each child was welcomed and had happy memories, she said.Miracle Hill is funded by the federal and state governments.The lawsuit says that instead of denouncing the religious discrimination, the Trump administration and Gov. Henry McMaster supported it.The lawsuit challenges a waiver granted this year to the Greenville agency, which previously has come under fire for denying services to same-sex couples and non-Christian families.McMaster, the South Carolina Department of Social Services and the federal Department of Health and Human Services are named as defendants in the lawsuit, along with HHS Secretary Alex Azar, the federal Administration for Children and Families, the Administration for Children and Families Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Steven Wagner and South Carolina Department of Social Services Director Joan B. Meacham. “It was demoralizing to hear we are not good enough because we aren’t the right kind of Christians,” Maddonna said. “It was difficult for my family, of course, but at the end of the day my kids still have parents. These foster children need and deserve to have someone looking out for them, and the government is taking that away. “They don’t have moms at their football games, or Christmas-morning fights with their siblings, or Sunday night dinners around the table. These children are still in an institution. That isn’t right, it isn’t fair and it isn’t necessary.”The federal lawsuit filed states it is unconstitutional for government-funded agencies to discriminate against prospective foster parents and volunteers based on their religion, that South Carolina and HHS may not spend or provide tax dollars to faith-based foster care agencies that use discriminatory religious criteria and that HHS did not follow proper procedure when it excused South Carolina and its foster care agencies from following federal anti-discrimination law.Maddonna said now that she and her husband are raising three children of their own she wanted to provide the same loving family experience to a new generation of foster kids. She said she chose Miracle Hill because it was the largest and most advertised agency in her community and it allowed both adults and children to volunteer.She said she felt it would be a perfect arrangement for her family, and that Miracle Hill felt the same way -- until they learned the family is Catholic.Miracle Hill’s website says the organization is currently assisting those interested in being licensed by DSS as a foster parent in Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens and Spartanburg counties.The website also says: “Over 2,000 children are in foster care in the Upstate of South Carolina, and because of a shortage of foster homes, hundreds more children are waiting, in need of a foster home. Miracle Hill has made it our mission to find Christian foster parents. Being a resource foster parent is a tremendous blessing and directly answers God’s call in James 1:27.“Since 1988, Miracle Hill has been recruiting Christian foster families -- both single and married -- and providing them with vital support throughout the licensing process, placements and beyond. In addition to developing relationships with our resource foster parents, our skilled team prays for them, and accompanies them to various meetings and proceedings within the court system.“While loving Christian homes for children of all ages are always needed, there is a special need for toddlers, ages 2 to 5, teenagers and sibling groups.”The document describing Miracle Hill’s licensing requirements for foster families does not mention denominational affiliations. Since Dec. 18, 2015, all HHS solicitations and contracts have been required to include the following: “It is the policy of the Department of Health and Human Services that no person otherwise eligible will be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination in the administration of HHS programs and services based on non-merit factors such as race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability (physical or mental). “By acceptance of this contract, the contractor agrees to comply with this policy in supporting the program and in performing the services called for under this contract. The contractor shall include this clause in all sub-contracts awarded under this contract for supporting or performing the specified program and services. “Accordingly, the contractor shall ensure that each of its employees, and any sub-contractor staff, is made aware of, understands, and complies with this policy.”