Bethany Christian Services, the country's largest Protestant foster care and adoption agency, announced on June 12 that it will only license and re-license foster families whose Christian faith aligns with its Statement of Faith, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Senior leaders must comply by June 1, 2026, other staff by June 1, 2027, and the foster family licensing change takes effect in June 2027.
The organization said the decision followed prayer and discernment by its board and executive leadership, not outside pressure, reversing a 2021 policy that had opened placements to same-sex couples across 32 states. Bethany operates in more than 25 states with over 1,000 staff members.