President Biden this week rolled out fresh federal action on both LGBTQ youth and book bans in response to legislative efforts by Republicans at the state and local level to pass laws aimed against transgender Americans.

On April 30, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Biden promulgated “Safe and Appropriate Foster Care Placement Requirements.” These regulations specify that, in placing foster children, child welfare agencies must place those children with families who are committed to “providing an environment supportive of the LGBTQI+ status or identity.”  Among the requirements: Foster care partners must refer to children by their “identified pronouns” and an “identified chosen name,” as well dress them in a way that’s consistent with their own gender identity or expression of self-esteem.”

Legal experts also note that this later requirement could be interpreted to mean giving puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or surgical modifications of sex—a significant issue for many children.

Sixty-nine percent in the poll said it would be “good” if religious families adopted a foster child, while only 13 percent view that prospect as “bad.” In addition, 54 percent of voters oppose banning religious families who believe in traditional gender identity from adopting foster children. A plurality of 29 percent agreed that faith-based families who refuse to affirm a child’s gender dysphoria should be prohibited from adopting, but the others were uncertain.

In fact, even RMG Research found that more than two-thirds of voters believe it would be advantageous for foster children to be placed with families who share their religious beliefs.

Even among independents, 58 percent favor families that uphold traditional gender beliefs. Democrats were the only political group listing foster parents based on traditional gender roles who did not receive a majority of support, with 63 percent saying that they would prefer severely confused children to be placed in families where everyone affirms their changing self image as opposed to one which shores up what is continuous from yesterday: it’s slated sexual identity.

In the already overextended foster care system that serves more than 600,000 children a year, this could add to stress. Similar regulations are enforced currently in Oregon, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The new HHS rules will apply to plans beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

Practicing Christians are almost three times more likely than the general population to adopt or foster, with Catholics and evangelicals in particular. Some 65 percent of non-kin foster parents go to church weekly.

But a recent Pew poll revealed that these are also the families least likely to check all of the boxes under new Biden administration rules. Just 15 percent of white evangelicals agree that a person’s biological sex and their stated gender might differ. That’s compared with just 36 percent of black Protestants who say gender can change.

Josh Weigel, who directed and co-wrote “Sound of Hope” with Makowsky, told ABC News that policies such as the HHS rules could put vulnerable children in even greater danger by pushing adoption underground.

“Over two thirds of the people helping [foster kids] are those who may not agree with that kind of legislation…You would have a monumental ocean of traumatized children mounting every year if you were to cut off that kind of care,” Weigel shared.