Biden Admin Blocked Christian Households From Adopting Kids
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused the Biden administration of blocking Christian families from fostering children.
Kennedy said Biden official were imposing rules that required placements to affirm LGBTQ identities, a policy he said dramatically reduced the pool of available homes for vulnerable kids.
Kennedy made the remarks while highlighting efforts to roll back the Biden-era regulations during congressional testimony this week.
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“President Trump and First Lady Trump’s vision for foster care is one family for every one child. Currently, there are two children for every available foster family because the Biden Administration was excluding an entire class of foster families due to their religious beliefs. This is unacceptable, and we are changing that,” Kennedy said.
President Trump and First Lady Trump’s vision for foster care is one family for every one child. Currently, there are two children for every available foster family because the Biden Administration was excluding an entire class of foster families due to their religious beliefs.… pic.twitter.com/S41QaETV0c
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) April 16, 2026
The 2024 rule finalized by the Biden administration required providers to meet three conditions to qualify as a “designated placement” for children identifying as LGBTQ+. Those conditions included committing to “establishing an environment that supports the child’s LGBTQ+ status or identity,” undergoing training for “appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of the child related to the child’s self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression,” and committing to “facilitate the child’s access to age- or developmentally appropriate resources, services, and activities that support their health and well-being.”
Kennedy argued the policy “excluded many Christian families and dramatically constricted the pool of available parents” at a time when foster homes were already in short supply.
A federal judge in Texas blocked the rule in June 2025, ruling that HHS exceeded its statutory authority under the Major Questions Doctrine. The Trump administration has since proposed fully rescinding the regulation.
Kennedy also noted progress in reducing the number of children in foster care.
“Partially as a result of the programs we have in place the number of foster children has dropped from 425,000 to 325,000,” he said.
The reversal aligns with broader efforts to expand the pool of loving homes for children in need and to prioritize keeping families together when possible. Faith-based organizations and pro-life advocates had warned that the Biden rule risked driving Christian providers out of the foster system, leaving more children without stable, permanent homes.
HHS is now moving to remove the requirements that critics said discriminated against religious beliefs opposing gender-affirming care.
