Vermont Rescinds Gender Mandate for Foster Parents

Laura Mann, Unsplash

A major victory for religious freedom has just been won in the state of Vermont. In a stunning reversal, the state has abandoned a harmful policy that forced foster parents to violate their biblical beliefs. This is a direct answer to the prayers and steadfast faith of families who refused to bow to ungodly ideology.

The state’s Department for Children and Families had previously required foster parents to fully affirm LGBT ideology. This meant Christian families were forced to choose between serving children in need and obeying God’s Word. Now, thanks to legal challenges from courageous believers, that mandate is gone.

This decision is an incredible win for children who are desperately waiting for a loving home. It sends a clear message that faith-filled families are an essential part of the foster care system. We must celebrate this victory and continue to stand for truth in every state across our nation.

The now-rescinded policy forced loving parents out of the system simply because they held to a biblical view of marriage and gender. Christian families were being punished for their faith. This is a direct violation of the religious freedom that our nation was founded upon.

One of the families who fought back was led by Pastor Brian Wuoti and his wife, Katy. They had been foster parents since 2014 and had even adopted two boys from the system. Yet, Vermont revoked its license because it could not agree to promote gender ideology that went against its faith.

Another couple, Pastor Bryan Gantt and his wife, Rebecca, specialized in caring for infants with drug dependencies. Despite their incredible track record of adopting three children, the state also revoked their license. These families were deemed unfit simply for holding to the truth of Scripture.

Restoring Faith and Family in Foster Care

The legal battle was led by Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the Wuoti and Gantt families. Their lawsuit argued that the state was violating the families’ First Amendment rights. They were being forced to speak messages and promote ideas that directly contradicted their deeply held religious convictions.

The new guidance from the state is a breath of fresh air. It explicitly says that an applicant’s sincerely held personal beliefs shall not be a factor in the licensing process. This is a monumental step toward ensuring that faith is seen as a strength, not a weakness, in the foster care system.

Under the new policy, parents will not be required to use specific pronouns or vocabulary that violates their conscience. They will also not be forced to facilitate medical procedures that go against their beliefs. This restores common sense and protects both parents and children from harmful, irreversible decisions.

This is a powerful reminder that when people of faith stand together, we can achieve great things. The Gantt family said it best: “Our focus throughout this case has been on the children who need stability and love above everything else.” That is the heart of the Gospel in action.

The battle is not over, as other states still have similar discriminatory policies. States like Washington and Massachusetts continue to exclude parents of faith. We must pray and work to ensure that this victory in Vermont becomes a model for the rest of the country.

A Win for Children and Religious Freedom

This outcome in Vermont is a win for those in Vermont, but the soul of our nation. It reaffirms that the government cannot compel citizens to lie or abandon their faith. It is an incredible victory for children who will now have more opportunities to find a loving home.

The previous Vermont policy was a clear example of ideological overreach. It prioritized a radical political agenda over the well-being of children. It puts children at risk by shrinking the pool of available foster parents.

The new guidance restores the proper focus of the foster care system: finding safe and nurturing homes for children. It correctly identifies that a parent’s personal beliefs are not a barrier to providing excellent care. Licensing will now focus on a family’s behavior and ability to provide a safe environment, not on their viewpoints.

This victory should energize the Church to become even more involved in foster care and adoption. These families stood in the gap, and now the door is open wider for others to follow. Your family could be the answer to a child’s prayer.

We must continue to fight against these unconstitutional mandates wherever they appear. Your voice matters in this fight for faith, family, and freedom. Million Voices is here to empower you to make a difference in your community and your state.

Let us praise God for this victory in Vermont. May it be the first of many as we work to restore biblical values to every corner of our society. Join the movement to protect our children and defend our freedoms.

Contacting your representatives should be easy, but there are myriad ways they can ignore your messages. That’s where we come in. 

Yes, Million Voices helps you with voter guides. Yes, we send letters from YOU directly to your elected officials because it’s the only way to guarantee they’ll listen to you. Yes, we publish data, articles, text messages, and help bridge the gap between education and civic action. But what do you want? Tell us today.

We want to make YOU the hero of our American story by giving you the tools you need to make a difference, from your local, state, all the way up to the federal level.

Join us in our mission to advocate for religious freedom, support fair and secure elections, and uphold the values that this great nation was built upon. Tell us what you want from the next four years, and we will fight to make it a reality … again!