DCYF Statement on Recent Settlement Agreement
The following is DCYF's agency statement in response to the Degross v. Senn settlement agreement:
"We are proud of the diversity of our foster parent and kinship caregiver community who have different cultures, religious beliefs, and lived experience. We are grateful that they all open their doors and provide a loving home to children and youth in foster care."
“This settlement agreement respects the religious beliefs of foster parents, while ensuring LGBTQIA+ youth are placed in an environment that is safe and supports their well-being,” said DCYF Secretary Tana Senn.
Some of the key points of the settlement:
- To ensure youth are protected, DCYF will make individual placement decisions based on a child’s needs, including needs pertaining to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE). When a foster parent, for whatever reason, cannot meet a child’s needs, including SOGIE, DCYF can decide not to place with that foster parent.
- DCYF retains full and sole authority over where children are placed. No foster family has a right to have any particular child placed in their home. And DCYF can decline placement, or remove a child from a home, whenever a placement would harm a child for any reason.
- DCYF is updating its foster care licensing rules. Foster parents will not be required to use words that conflict with their sincerely held religious beliefs as a condition of being licensed.
- DCYF cannot deny or restrict a foster care license solely because of an applicant’s religious beliefs about marriage, gender, or sexual relationships. However, if an applicant does not meet other licensing requirements, DCYF may still deny the applicant a license.
###
Contact:
Nancy Gutierrez, Director of External Communications |360-742-6418 |nancy.gutierrez@dcyf.wa.gov
|
