An Arkansas law that bans unmarried couples from acting as foster parents or adopting goes into effect Jan. 1, and while it applies to cohabitating heterosexual couples as well, many claim the measure is intended to prohibit gay couples from taking in foster kids, even if it means that children will wait longer for placement in qualified homes.

Susan Hoffpauir is the president of the Arkansas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, and she says adding restrictions like this to an already difficult process means fewer quality homes for kids in need.

Same-sex marriage has certainly been in the news lately, but many states are quietly working to prevent same-sex couples from adopting. Utah and North Dakota both allow the state to disqualify gay couples from being foster parents or adopting. However, a Florida judge recently struck down a decades-old law prohibiting gays and lesbians from adopting children.

Opponents of these laws say they may also jeopardize other non-traditional adoptions, including those attempted by non-cohabitating grandparents.

Here in my home state of Illinois, prospective foster and adoptive parents may be married or single, and the state is not allowed to discriminate based on sexual orientation.

With so many kids, and so few qualified parents, it seems criminal to pass up good homes simply because there are two moms or two dads. Isn't that better than having no parents at all?