The Biden administration has proposed a new rule that would mandate foster care agencies only place LGBTQI+-identified children with families that will affirm their preferred gender identity and sexual orientation.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families unveiled on Sept. 28 a proposed rule on LGBTQI+ children in the foster care system.

According to the proposal, “agencies must ensure that a safe and appropriate placement is available for and provided to any child in foster care who identifies as LGBTQI+ and requests such a placement.”

“Similarly, a provider who attempted to undermine, suppress, or change the sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression of a child, including through the use of so-called ‘conversion therapy’ would not be a safe and appropriate placement.”

The proposed policy states further that “the agency must not place LGBTQI+ identifying children with a provider who unreasonably limits or denies a child’s ability to express their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.”

“For example, to be considered a safe and appropriate placement, a provider is expected to utilize the child’s identified pronouns, chosen name, and allow the child to dress in an age-appropriate manner that the child believes reflects their self-identified gender identity and expression,” the proposal states.

The rule will be open for comments until Nov. 27.

The American Principles Project, (APP) a socially conservative advocacy group, argued that the proposal was part of a host of attacks on the traditional family unit.  

APP President Terry Schilling said in a statement that he believes that the president has become “a clear and present danger to American families.”

“Since entering the White House, he has repeatedly attacked parental rights, even sending federal authorities after parents protesting at school board meetings. His administration has abetted efforts by schools to hide information from parents about their children,” Schilling stated.

“And now, he is threatening to remove children from loving foster families simply because their parents reject the harmful lies of gender ideology.”

Schilling argues that children within the foster care system “deserve true care” instead of “the false promise that living as the opposite sex and denying their own body will make them happy.”

“However, this rule will likely discourage many good parents from seeking to help these children and instead possibly attract individuals who would prey upon them. This is a travesty that should outrage every decent American,” he continued.  

“As poll after poll has shown, voters do not support the radical, anti-family agenda that Biden and his administration are attempting to impose on this country. They should expect to answer for it politically next year.”

HHS issued a statement that the rule aims to place LGBTQ youth in “environments free of hostility, mistreatment, or abuse based on the child’s LGBTQI+ status.”

“And the proposed rule would require that caregivers for LGBTQI+ children are properly and fully trained to provide for the needs of the child related to the child’s self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression,” the statement explained.

“This proposed rule supports the Executive Order on Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Individuals and continues to move the child welfare system closer to the Administration’s goal to better support LGBTQI+ children with resources and services that are designed appropriately to meet their needs.”

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a prominent LGBTQ advocacy group, praised the rule proposal as an “important step.”

Photo: B. Christopher/ Alamy