Christian couple loses foster care license for refusing to sign transgender policy

Woburn, MA – Lydia and Heath Marvin, a Christian couple who have fostered eight young children since 2020, had their Massachusetts foster license revoked in April after refusing to sign a state contract requiring them to “support” and “affirm” a child’s LGBTQIA+ identity.

The Marvins, who appealed the decision in May and were denied in September, argue the policy violates their religious beliefs while exacerbating the state’s foster parent shortage.

Represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), similar cases involving the Schrock and Jones families are now in federal court, with the Trump administration criticizing the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) policy as unconstitutional.

The Marvins’ Foster Journey and License Revocation

The Marvins, residents of Woburn with three teenage biological children, began fostering in 2020, caring for children under age 4, including a medically fragile infant for 15 months. “We decided that we wanted to do foster care because it’s a key part of being Christian to care for those who are most in need, like orphans,” Heath Marvin told Fox News Digital.

In August 2024, the couple received a new DCF parent agreement mandating affirmation of LGBTQIA+ identities. They requested a religious accommodation, assuring the agency they would love and care for any child.

“We would absolutely love, care, and support any child in our home, but this was asking us to go against our Christian faith,” Lydia Marvin said. DCF denied the waiver, stating, “No, you have to sign the form as is, or else you will lose your license.” The revocation came in April 2025, just after the Marvins completed specialized medical training for another child.

The couple appealed in May; the decision was upheld in September. “It’s obviously not been what we’ve been hoping for,” Heath said, emphasizing their commitment to providing loving homes.

What We Know About The DCF Policy

DCF policy requires foster families to demonstrate “ability and willingness to support and affirm LGBTQIA+ children,” including recruiting LGBTQIA+-identifying parents, per state guidelines. The affirmation requirement, added between 2023 and 2024, mandates specific speech and actions regarding gender identity and sexual orientation, per the ADF lawsuit.

ADF represents the Schrock family (license revoked June 2025) and Jones family in a federal suit alleging First Amendment violations. “What really hurts about all of this is that this hurts kids more than anything else,” ADF senior counsel Hal Frampton said.

“Every child deserves a loving home… the government excludes people of faith who are ready to provide those homes based on the government’s radical ideology.”

Massachusetts faces a foster parent shortage, with over 8,000 children in care and fewer than 4,000 licensed homes as of August 2025, per DCF data. Frampton argued the policy “deepens the crisis” by disqualifying qualified families.

Trump Administration Intervention

On September 30, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a letter to DCF, with Acting Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison calling the policy “troubling” and in violation of the First Amendment.

“These policies… are deeply troubling, clearly contrary to the purpose of child welfare programs, and in direct violation of First Amendment protections,” the letter stated. Frampton praised the administration’s stance: “It’s really heartening to see the administration… coming down on the side of loving families like the Marvins.”

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The case unfolds amid broader cultural and legal debates. Massachusetts’ expansion of gender-affirming care coverage under Medicaid has drawn lawsuits from 12 conservative groups. A federal judge’s October ruling upholding Vermont’s similar foster policy (requiring LGBTQ+ affirmation) sets precedent, though ADF appeals.

The ADF lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court (Massachusetts), seeks injunction and damages; a hearing is set for December, per court filings. DCF reports 1,200 children awaiting placement as of October.