BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families discriminated against parents with disabilities, federal authorities said Thursday in announcing an agreement to make changes within the agency.

The U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services called it a “landmark agreement” to resolve allegations that parents with disabilities were treated unfairly.

The agreement comes five years after federal officials found the agency discriminated against a mother with a developmental disability when it sought to terminate her parental rights. Federal authorities said they received similar complaints from parents with disabilities and heard numerous other complaints, including that the agency failed to provide interpreters to individuals with hearing impairments.

“Parents with disabilities should never lose custody of their children due to discriminatory assumptions about their abilities. The love of a parent, coupled with proper support services, can overcome a multiplicity of challenges,” said Roger Severino, director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights, said in an emailed statement.

The agreement says the Department of Children and Families “denies DOJ’s allegations of discrimination and any and all allegations that DCF violated the law.” An agency spokesperson said Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration has worked to reform the department.

“DCF remains committed to constantly improving the way it serves children and families across the Commonwealth, including families protected by the (Americans with Disabilities Act),” Andrea Grossman said in an email.

The agreement calls for the agency to appoint a statewide coordinator to oversee compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The agency has also agreed to create a “Parents with Disabilities Policy” to ensure all “are provided an equal opportunity to benefit from and participate in DCF’s services, programs, and activities,” the agreement says.