A Washington state court has delivered a decisive victory for religious freedom, permanently blocking state officials from denying foster care licenses to families who refuse to affirm gender transition ideology.

State Forced To Surrender After Years-Long Battle

The Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families agreed to a permanent injunction after losing its attempt to force Shane and Jennifer DeGross to embrace transgender policies. District Court Judge David Estudillo ruled the agency cannot deny foster family licenses or attach restrictions based solely on religious beliefs about marriage, gender, or sexual relationships. The state capitulated after the court determined its policies likely violated First Amendment protections.

The DeGross family had been fighting state officials since 2022, when they were told their foster parent license would only be renewed if they agreed to use preferred pronouns and affirm gender transitions for children in their care. Rather than compromise their Christian beliefs, the couple took their case to federal court in 2024 with representation from Alliance Defending Freedom.

First Amendment Trumps Gender Ideology Mandates

Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse, Senior Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, emphasized that state officials attempted to exclude qualified foster parents over ideological disagreements. The attorney stated that bureaucrats do not need to agree with the DeGross family’s religious convictions to recognize the benefit of including them in the foster care system. The ruling establishes that caring for vulnerable children does not require families to abandon their faith-based understanding of human biology and gender.

The permanent injunction sets a critical precedent in Washington state, where progressive policies have increasingly clashed with constitutional protections. The decision acknowledges that disagreements about gender ideology cannot be used as grounds to disqualify otherwise qualified foster parents who offer stable, loving homes to children in need.

What This Means For Religious Freedom

This case represents a significant check on government overreach into family life and religious practice. The ruling protects not only the DeGross family but establishes safeguards for any foster parents whose religious convictions conflict with state-mandated gender ideology. As foster care systems nationwide face critical shortages of qualified homes, this decision ensures states cannot prioritize political correctness over the welfare of children by excluding families based on their traditional religious beliefs about gender and sexuality.