1. New changes to the foster care system in Idaho

Idaho Family Policy Center wants to start off this week’s roundup by giving a special shout out and huge thank you to our new Director of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Alex Adams!

On his first day on the job, Adams took immediate action to eliminate red tape for families who want to become foster parents—signing temporary rules that waive every adoption fee, adding foster families who have had a relationship with a child for at least six months to the definition of “kin,” and reducing the application period to become a foster parent from 30 days to one business day.

In a statement on the changes, Adams said:

If somebody is willing to be part of this system, if somebody is willing to open their home to a child … we will not be the delay. I will not let the department be the delay, we will take action as quickly as possible.

Governor Little has also taken action to improve the foster care system this week by encouraging partnerships with nonprofits, reducing barriers to adoption, and improving inter-agency coordination, among other things.

This week was a major win for the vulnerable children in Idaho who find themselves in a situation they have no control over.

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent, you can learn more here.

2. Grandmother sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for praying outside abortion clinic

More and more pro-life activists are being thrown in jail by the Biden Administration for praying and offering help to women outside of abortion clinics.

This includes Paulette Harlow, a 75 year-old woman who was just sentenced to 2 years in prison for her peaceful efforts to petition God and save babies.

Disgustingly, not only was Harlow punished for her virtue, but she was also mocked by the judge who persecuted her. After sentencing Harlow to prison despite her severe medical condition, he told her that she must “make an effort to remain alive” as that is a “tenet of faith”.

This abuse of power is currently possible under the Freedom of Access to Clinics (FACE) Act, a federal law that was signed by President Clinton in 1994.

Unfortunately, these verdicts won’t stop under Biden until this law is repealed. As Christians, we must seek justice for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ.

Demand that our representatives in D.C. take action to repeal the FACE Act—send your message today and pray for an end to this abuse of power once and for all.

3. National media takes aim at Idaho Family Policy Center

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14

IFPC can truly relate to this scripture—we have been under fire by the woke news media lately and the only thing we can attribute it to is that the Gem state has truly been a light in the darkness on the issues of the day.

We don’t see the media lying and perverting the truth about the work we are doing as a deterrent. Rather, we see these attacks as a sign that we are on the right track, headed for righteousness and justice in our great state.

This week, the New York Post accused IFPC of “misleading” people on abortifacients when it comes to “emergency contraception” and IUDs.

Last week, the Washington Post accused IFPC of spreading “misinformation” on abortifacients in their problematic article on birth control littered with misinformation, insinuations, and outright lies. You see our response on Instagram and Facebook.

The official IFPC stance on the matter is: 

Idaho Family Policy Center believes that married couples should be free to make personal decisions about contraception use. However, we oppose abortifacients that are known to destroy human life after fertilization, including Plan B, Ella, and IUDs.

The truth is simple: when these abortifacients kill a fertilized egg, an innocent life is ended—and we won’t stop speaking the truth no matter how hard they come at us.

4. LGBT Pride infiltrates Idaho

It seems that as the years go on, more and more “Pride” related activities have infiltrated the Gem state.

Earlier this week we sent an Action Alert about St. Luke’s hospital, who has doubled down on flying Pride flags at their locations across the state, sponsoring Pride events, and hosting DEI trainings on LGBT Pride.

But it doesn’t end there.

Canyon County hosted their first ever Pride festival in Nampa last weekend, which received understandable backlash from locals demanding the city to cancel the event.

The “family friendly” event featured performers wearing lingerie, dancing provocatively, and collecting cash tips—hosted in a public park for minors to see.

Idaho Family Policy Center is taking action again this year to put a stop to public sexual exhibitions like the one that was hosted in Nampa—and we urge you to sign on to our petition asking state policymakers to address this issue once-and-for-all during this upcoming legislative session. Enough is enough.