The Vermont Department for Children and Families has “tweaked its policies barring anti-LGBTQ people from approval to foster children” as part of the settlement of two US Court of Appeals cases, according to a VT Digger report.

Reports VT Digger:

Both lawsuits — Antonucci, et al. v. Winters, et al. and Wuoti et al. v. Winters — centered on the department’s policy that required foster parents to support and affirm queer youth in order to receive a license to take in foster children. In both cases, the plaintiffs were unable to demonstrate that they would be able to support queer foster children in their identities and were unable to secure the fostering license. 

Both suits were brought against Chris Winters, the then-commissioner of the Vermont Department for Children and Families, who stepped down from the post in 2025 to become deputy commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor. The district court denied the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction, and the plaintiffs then raised the appeals.

In a Friday press release, the Department for Children and Families said that it moved to settle the cases after consulting with organizations that support LGBTQ youth. 

“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 statement reads.

In newly issued guidance, the department outlined its intention to place foster children in homes where they are safe, respected and supported. The state said it will focus its attention on placing queer youth in homes that are the right fit but will not bar parents with anti-LGBTQ beliefs from fostering. 

Read the complete VT Digger story here.

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