Arkansas Department of Human Services v. Cole
Supreme Court of Arkansas
380 S.W.3d 429 (2011)
Relevant factsFree
A ballot initiative categorically barred unmarried cohabitating individuals from fostering or adopting children in Arkansas; Cole (plaintiff) challenged the law as unconstitutionally burdening her right to intimate relationships in her own home, and DHS (defendant) defended it as a reasonable child-welfare measure premised on marriage providing greater household stability than cohabitation.
IssueFree
Whether a state statute that prohibits unmarried cohabitants from fostering or adopting children is constitutional.