Christian foster families fight Massachusetts policy requiring them to promote LGBT ideology

Two Christian foster families sued Massachusetts officials Sept. 3 after they were told that they cannot keep their foster care licenses if they refuse to promote LGBT ideology to the children in their care.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), one of the law firms representing the two families, stated in a news release that the state Department of Children and Families (DCF) has a new policy that “requires every family to promise that they will encourage a child to ‘transition’ socially and medically, use a child’s chosen pronouns, and otherwise ‘affirm’ without question a child’s desire to change their gender, even if doing so violates their faith.”

ADF Senior Counsel Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse stated that Massachusetts’ foster care system has more than 1,400 children in need of foster families. Nick and Audrey Jones are one of the families responding to the children’s needs, but because of their Christian beliefs on sexuality and gender, DCF intends to revoke their foster-care license, according to the release. The Joneses have fostered seven children since 2023 and are currently caring for a 17-month-old girl, whom DCF wishes to take from the Jones family.

“This is a particularly egregious case because the Joneses care for a little girl who is happy and healthy in the only home she’s ever known,” Widmalm-Delphonse said. “Now just because of the Joneses’ commonly held religious beliefs, the commonwealth says the Joneses are unfit to parent and is threatening to uproot this little child. That’s not putting children first and that’s why we’re suing the commonwealth in federal court.”

Greg and Marianelly Schrock, who have fostered 28 children since 2019, experienced a similar situation in June. They also hold Christian beliefs about gender and sexual orientation and refuse to encourage LGBT ideals that contradict with their faith, prompting DCF to discontinue their license.

“Both families will happily provide a loving and respectful home for any child, including those who identify as LGBT,” ADF stated. “Massachusetts officials nonetheless are demanding foster parents sign a document promising to automatically ‘promote,’ ‘support’ and ‘affirm’ a hypothetical child’s gender identity or gender expression, even if doing so violates their religious convictions.”