Gender ideology’s war on America’s children has turned its guns on a particularly vulnerable group: children in foster care. Despite a court ruling blocking a Biden-era rule that imposed gender ideology as a condition of serving children who identify as LGBTQ, several states now demand that prospective foster parents affirm the “gender identity” of hypothetical children they might foster one day. Vermont has taken this egregious stance even further, telling one Christian family that they presented too much of a risk, that they would raise children sharing their beliefs.

Decenda and Frank Cram were “blindsided” when Vermont state officials denied their application to become foster parents because of their “belief system.” State officials added that “if children in their home are raised with the same beliefs it could perpetuate further discrimination of the LGBTQ community.”

Two other Christian families – the Wuotis and the Gannts – also failed Vermont’s ideological litmus test and so were denied the chance to foster. Represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, they are pushing back. Their case is currently under review by a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit court of appeals. The Crams shared their experience (link brief) as friends of the court in support of the families.

Decenda Cram, like many foster parents, was a foster child herself, entering care when she was only six years old. Her first foster parents were devout Christians and eventually adopted her. “I think ever since then,” she says, “I just thought someday I wanted to give back … I definitely wanted to return the favor in some way.”

Frank credits Christian neighbors for helping him turn around his own life. “If it wasn’t for a Christian family back when I was out in Arizona, I probably would’ve been getting in more and more trouble,” he explains.

The Crams, both devout Christians, hoped, in Frank’s words, to offer needy children “a home, unconditional love, understanding – the whole nine yards.” In October 2020 the couple applied to be foster parents. Decenda recalls that “we made it clear that we were Christians, and we asked if that was going to pose a problem with foster parenting. And we were reassured by a higher up in the state’s Department of Children and Family Services (DCF): ‘We don’t discriminate against anyone for any reason.’”

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Although they had not completed the licensing process, Decenda and Frank were called to take in a pair of sibling girls, ages nine and fourteen, in December 2020. The girls stayed with the Crams for a month and a half before one of the girls’ relatives assumed custody. We “worked out very well as a team in taking care of them,” says Frank. Decenda agrees, adding that “Frank and I worked beautifully as a parenting team.” Their initial DCF worker and the relative that the girls moved in with when they left us “all commended us for doing such a good job with the girls.”

Nicholas Klein. Getty Images.

Given their success caring for the two sisters, the Crams thought they would be licensed as foster parents. They were surprised when the licensing process turned hostile.

Decenda recalls a different official telling her during a phone interview that “Vermont has recently taken a stance.” This “stance” is that no foster families can be considered unless they are willing to fully embrace the LGBTQ community. Despite the clear desire and ability to provide a safe, loving home for children in need, the Crams were denied a license to foster.

According to the denial letter sent to the Crams in June 2021, the Cram’s “fundamental belief” about “God’s plan for all of us,” would “not meet the emotional or developmental needs of children.”

“It felt like I’d lost a child,” laments Decenda. Frank says that “It really broke my heart. It’s like, here we are. We’re willing to give our home and our time and effort to help these children.”

Vermont’s behavior is inexcusable: its exclusion of prospective foster and adoptive parents based on their sincerely held religious beliefs is blatant religious discrimination and adds to the injury already suffered by children in need.

The Crams are hopeful that the Second Circuit will order Vermont to stop its discriminatory policy so they can open up their home to children in need. As Frank says, “all things can work out by God’s grace.”

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Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is Director of The Conscience Project 

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.