Madison –Representative Barbara Dittrich (R – Oconomowoc) introduced multiple bills to address the over-burdensome adoption process in Wisconsin, building off of the work she started last session as the chair of the Speaker’s Task Force on Adoption (2019). These bills seek to make the adoption process an option for both the families seeking to fill their hearts and their homes and expectant mothers who have chosen life for their child.
“Pro-life advocates and legislators are routinely criticized as being only ‘pro-birth’ advocates,” shared Rep. Dittrich. “Nothing could be further from the truth. This legislation will support both parents and children, through extremely difficult times, while ensuring life is protected. Supporting parents and children to provide an adoption process that mitigates trauma for all involved and helps achieve permanency more readily is a pro-life goal that legislators of every political viewpoint should share. As it stands, Wisconsin continues to be seen as a difficult state in which to adopt, to the detriment of our children and families.”
The legislation in the package introduced this session includes multiples bills ranging from ideas introduced last session, such as protecting children from the effects of substance abuse and modifying timelines to move children into loving homes, to new pursuits like improving Wisconsin’s Safe Haven law. Rep. Dittrich continues to meet with stakeholders to satisfactorily shape the legislation and hopes to see the bills receive committee hearings in the next month.
