Vermont stops forcing foster parents to adhere to LGBT ideology, restores licenses

February 25, 2026

Vermont is eliminating a requirement that foster parents embrace LGBT ideology and has restored the licenses of foster parents who had their revoked over their religious beliefs.

The Christian Post reports that a settlement has been reached in several lawsuits against the state of Vermont over a requirement that prospective foster parents must speak in contrast to their beliefs on gender and sexuality to be licensed.

The conservative nonprofit legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) announced in a statement on Monday that Vermont has adopted new guidance stressing that “[a]pplicants’ sincerely held personal, cultural, religious, moral, or philosophical beliefs shall not be considered in the licensing process.”

The guidance goes on to say, “Applicants shall not be excluded based on any such beliefs nor on an intent to live, parent, and make day-to-day caregiving decisions consistent with those beliefs, so long as required standards of safety, care, non-discrimination, and respect for a child’s safety, well-being, and dignity are met.”

At the center of the litigation were two devoutly religious families: Brian and Kaity Wuoti and Michael and Rebecca Gantt. The Wuotis and the Gantts uphold traditional Christian beliefs on marriage and sexuality.

According to the Christian Post, both couples had their licenses to serve as foster parents revoked under the state’s previous guidance, which required foster parents to be “holistically affirming and supporting” of a child’s sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. 

ADF Senior Counsel Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse said the new developments represent “an incredible victory for children in Vermont’s foster-care system.”

Widmalm-Delphonse added, “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.”

Photo: top, Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom