US state ditches pro-trans foster care policy in victory for religious liberty

Couples who believe in biological reality will be no longer be barred from fostering in Vermont.

New guidance for licensing foster parents states that an applicant’s “sincerely held personal, cultural, religious, moral, or philosophical beliefs shall not be considered in the licensing process”, and that candidates are not required to endorse transgender ideology.

The policy change marks the end of a legal battle with Vermont officials launched by two Christian couples — supported by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) — who had their foster care licences revoked because of their biblical belief that sex is binary and cannot be changed.

God makes no mistakes

Speaking before the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission last month, Pastor Brian Wuoti recounted how he and his wife Kaitlyn had “tried to live by God’s call, to do justice, love mercy, and to care for the orphaned.”

“For years, our relationship with Vermont’s Department for Children and Families was a success. But in 2022, that changed. When we sought to renew our foster care licence the state introduced a new policy, it required foster parents to promote gender ideology, including telling children they can change their sex and using inaccurate pronouns if a child desired.

“We told the state that we would love any child who came through our door, and loving a child means speaking the truth in love. We believe every child is wonderfully made, we would never tell a child God made a mistake and that he or she was born in the wrong body.”

“Thankfully”, he explained, “after more than three years of litigation, Vermont finally agreed to rescind its decision, allow us to reapply for our licence and end its discriminatory policy”. He concluded: “The government shouldn’t target parents who embrace the truth that there are only two sexes, equal in worth, different in design.”

‘Deeply personal’

Kaitlyn Wuoti told the Commission: “This issue is deeply personal for our family. As a child I struggled with gender dysphoria”

“I know personally that there is nothing compassionate about confusion. Love requires truth, and I will be forever grateful to my parents for loving me unconditionally and speaking truth in my life, about who I am and how God created me.”

She believed that the privilege of fostering had been denied to them “not because we did anything wrong, but because the Government did not like our beliefs”.

Christian worldview

Following the court settlement in February, ADF Senior Counsel Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse said: “No parent should be forced to lie to a vulnerable child about who they are, much less promote irreversible and life-altering procedures that don’t have any proven health benefits.

“And, unfortunately, other loving families have been unable to open their homes to children in need just because of their Christian worldview.

“We commend Vermont for respecting the religious diversity of foster parents and ending its exclusionary policy that deprived children of opportunities to find loving homes.”

The Wuoti’s co-litigants, Pastor Bryan Gantt and his wife Rebecca, said: “Our focus throughout this case has been on the children who need stability and love above everything else. We’re overjoyed that Vermont is doing right by the children in the system.”