The Vermont Department for Children and Families has changed its guidance regarding whether prospective foster parents must affirm the gender identity of LGBTQ+ youth before being licensed as part of two legal settlements reached last week. Under the new guidance, issued February 18, the state a gency will no longer be able to deny or revoke foster-parent licensure based on an applicants’ refusal to “affirm, endorse or adopt any particular views regarding gender identity, sexual orientation or related ideological concepts,” according to the settlements filed in federal court late last week. The changes come in response to two lawsuits — Wuoti v. Winters and Antonucci v. Winters — brought by multiple couples. They alleged the state revoked their foster-care licenses after they expressed religious objections to supporting LGBTQ+ youth when it came to matters such as using a child’s preferred pronouns, allowing them to dress in a way that aligns with their gender identity and letting them undergo gender-affirming medical treatment. Two couples, Brian and Katy Wuoti and Michael and Rebecca Gantt, were represented in their 2024 lawsuit by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal organization that has argued numerous lawsuits in front of the U.S. Supreme Court and has sued the Vermont Agency of Education multiple times challenging state practices supporting LGBTQ+ youth. “By denying people the chance to be foster and adoptive parents because of their religious beliefs and compelling them to speak the government’s preferred message about sexual orientation and gender identity, Vermont is violating the First Amendment,” Alliance Defending Freedom wrote in a post on its website. The other couple, Melinda Antonucci and Casey Mathieu, were represented in their 2025 suit by Center for American Liberty, another conservative group. The settlements also require that the plaintiffs be reinstated as foster parents. Antonucci told Fox News last week that the settlement means “our family can continue serving foster youth, and it helps ensure other foster parents won’t be punished for speaking honestly or living out their faith.” In a Friday press release, DCF wrote that, after consulting with advocates for LGBTQ+ youth, officials came to believe that “settling these cases is in the best long-term interest of the children and youth we serve and will allow DCF to focus our attention on supporting children and youth by thoughtfully matching them with the caregivers best able to meet their individual needs.” The new guidance will not hinder state officials from placing foster children who identify at LGBTQ+ “in homes where they are physically safe, emotionally supported, and treated with respect,” according to the statement. The agency also plans to “work to strengthen clear accessible ways for young people to contact the department directly if they have concerns about their placement — and to feel safe doing so,” it continues. In a statement on Friday, Outright Vermont, an organization that supports LGBTQ+ youth, said in light of the settlements, “The focus must remain on the safety, affirmation, and the unwavering commitment of support and belonging that all young people deserve.” In the statement, Outright executive director Dana Kaplan noted that many LGBTQ+ children in foster care have faced “rejection from their families, trauma or instability because of their identities.” “Placing youth with foster families who respect their identity isn’t a political preference,” Kaplan said. “It’s part of supporting their emotional and psychological health.” Vermont currently has approximately 774 licensed foster homes and has processed around 2,500 new applications since 2021, according to data provided by a DCF spokesperson. In the past five years, “questions or concerns related to affirming care for LGBTQ+ youth have arisen in only 10 instances during new applications or renewals, representing less than .5% of applications or renewals,” the spokesperson said. The post DCF Issues New Foster-Parent Licensing Guidance as Part of Legal Settlements appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less