In a win for religious families, Massachusetts has amended a policy that banned foster parents who refuse to promote gender ideology from having children in their care.
Legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom announced in a news release that the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) changed its policy Dec. 12 and said that it will no longer withhold foster licenses from Christian or other religious families. As Zeale previously reported, DCF had required foster families to promise that they would encourage gender “transitions,” use preferred pronouns, and otherwise promote gender ideology to the children in their care. No exceptions were made for religious families who could not go against their beliefs on gender.
Two religious couples, Audrey and Nicholas Jones and Greg and Marianelly Schrock, sued DCF Sept. 3 after the department threatened or revoked their foster-care licenses, Zeale reported at the time. The lawsuit alleges that the families are being forced to choose between fostering and their Christian faith.
The Joneses have fostered since 2023 and are currently foster parents to a 17-month-old who has been with them nearly her entire life; however, their foster-care license expired and DCF threatened to transfer the toddler to a different home. The Schrocks fostered 28 children between 2019 and 2025, and say DHS revoked their license because of their Christian beliefs.
Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse stated in the release that the families are “eager” to apply for foster-care licenses again.
“This amendment is a step in the right direction and we commend Massachusetts officials for changing course,” he continued. “But this case will not end until we are positive that Massachusetts is committed to respecting religious persons and ideological diversity among foster parents.”