Court Rules That Illinois Must Continue To Refer Foster Children To Catholic Adoption Agency Despite Assurances That Catholic Charities Refuses To Place Children With Gay Couples

Catholic Charities once again will be able to take on new foster care cases despite Illinois’ efforts to block the group over a dispute about gay rights and civil unions, The Chicago Tribune reporting that a Sangamon County judge made the temporary ruling today when the state gave in and agreed with Catholic Charities to let the social services group take in new cases at least for a few weeks. Catholic Charities will not place children with gay or unmarried couples. Illinois Catholic Charities had alleged the state Department of Children and Family Services had violated last week's order that required the state to keep the group's contract in place while the issue played out in circuit court. DCFS had let nearly 2,000 foster children placed by Catholic Charities remain in place and under the group's oversight, but the state had refused to allow Catholic Charities to place children in new foster care cases despite the order."Suddenly, they stopped," said Tom Brejcha, an attorney representing Catholic Charities. "They did the opposite of what the order directed." Catholic Charities argued in court papers that it had been surprised by the DCFS decision to block new cases, and sought to keep the cases coming. The group argued the DCFS action did not follow Sangamon County Judge John Schmidt's order because it failed to keep operating as if the state and Catholic Charities still had a contract in place. In court today, Catholic Charities and an assistant attorney general presented Schmidt with the agreement to allow the group to continue accepting the new cases. Still pending is a mid-August hearing on whether Catholic Charities will be able to continue offering foster services over the long term. DCFS initially had refused to renew a foster care services contract with Catholic Charities because of the dispute over civil unions. The state informed Catholic Charities that its contract would not be extended a few days after it had expired on June 30.