Evaluating the intersection of attitudes on foster care and abortion among US American evangelicals

Foster care is invoked by activists on both sides of the abortion debate. For abortion opponents, it represents a home and path to adoption. For abortion advocates, it is an already broken system that could be overwhelmed by abortion restrictions. These views are also deeply tied to religion in the United States, with some church communities being involved in both anti-abortion activism and foster care volunteering. We investigate the intersection of beliefs on abortion and child welfare among anti-abortion evangelical Christians in Tennessee against the backdrop of a total abortion ban at the state level. We find that these beliefs are shaped by a distrust of the secular state and a preference for family matters to be managed within Christian communities. By centering state skepticism, we can better understand the internal logic of supporting abortion bans but opposing increased funding for state-run child welfare, laying the groundwork for future research.