President Donald Trump’s administration eliminated a federal rule that sought to force foster homes to affirm a child’s same-sex attraction and a child’s self-asserted gender identity when that identity is inconsistent with his or her biological sex.
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) formally rescinded the rule on March 6 based on concerns it could force faith-based foster parents and foster homes to violate their religious beliefs.
“This Biden-era rule was an affront to common sense, but most especially, it sent the wrong message to faith-based foster parents and organizations who simply seek to provide a loving home for foster youth,” Alex Adams, ACF assistant secretary, said in a statement.
“We can do better, and we must do better to make sure children in foster care find lovely, nurturing homes,” he said.
The formal elimination of the rule comes nine months after a federal court blocked enforcement, finding it exceeded the statutory authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACF is a division of HHS.
On March 3, ACF also sent letters to all 50 states explaining that children may not be removed from foster homes solely because the foster parents do not affirm a child identifying as a gender inconsistent with the child’s sex.
“Parents have the right to raise their children according to their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions,” Adams said in a statement. “When states overstep their bounds, ACF will take action to deter inappropriate policies that drive unnecessary interactions with child welfare systems. This is one such example.”
These moves are part of Trump’s broader efforts to combat what he calls “gender ideology extremism.” In an executive order, Trump established an official policy to affirm “the biological reality of sex” and recognized that the terms “man” and “woman” refer to biological distinctions rather than self-identification.
