Ohio county to pay over $120,000 for excluding Christian families from foster care

An Ohio county government has agreed to pay over $120,000 after excluding a Christian ministry from participating in the foster care system because of its religious hiring standards.

The settlement ends a lawsuit involving Alliance Defending Freedom and Gracehaven against Montgomery County and its Department of Job and Family Services.

The dispute began in 2024 after county officials removed Gracehaven from a foster care program tied to public funding. The Christian ministry said county officials opposed its policy of hiring employees who share its religious beliefs.

Gracehaven works with girls who survived sex trafficking and operates state-licensed therapeutic group homes in Ohio. Girls are placed there through the foster care system.

For years, Montgomery County had contracted with the ministry for substitute care services before cutting ties.

Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Jake Reed said the county unlawfully targeted the organization because it is Christian.

“The government can’t deny public benefits to a Christian ministry that is caring for young survivors of sex trafficking solely because of its religious character and exercise,” Reed said in a statement.

He also praised the organization’s work helping vulnerable girls.

“Gracehaven is a force for good, offering comprehensive care, support, and a safe place to call home to the most vulnerable girls in Ohio,” Reed said. “We’re pleased to favorably settle this lawsuit. The county agreed that it cannot exclude Gracehaven from the foster care system simply because it hires those who share its faith.”

The case is an example of tension between religious ministries and government agencies that increasingly pressure faith-based organizations to abandon religious standards in exchange for public participation.

A federal court previously sided with Gracehaven during the lawsuit. In April 2025, a judge ruled Montgomery County could not block the ministry from the foster care system while the case continued.

That ruling ultimately led to the permanent settlement.

Gracehaven Director Scott Arnold said the ministry’s Christian identity is vital to its work helping girls recover from trauma and abuse.

“Gracehaven empowers young girls rescued from sex trafficking by helping them thrive with dignity in a renewed life,” Arnold said.

From his perspective, maintaining a Christian staff is important to carrying out the ministry’s mission.

“Our team of Christian employees is paramount to this work,” Arnold explained. “As we help these girls work through their pain and trauma and move toward living healthy, fulfilling lives, our ability to hire like-minded people of faith to carry out our mission is essential.”

Arnold also thanked Alliance Defending Freedom for representing the ministry in court.

“We’re grateful for Alliance Defending Freedom’s help in securing this victory,” he said.

The lawsuit was formally dismissed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio after the settlement was reached.

Montgomery County is in southwestern Ohio and includes the city of Dayton as its county seat, with a population of about 537,000 people, according to recent Census estimates.