Illinois Will Continue Catholic Charities For New Foster Care Cases While Litigation Is Progressing

According to a press release from the Thomas More Society, the state of Illinois announced in court yesterday that it will resume the referral of new foster care cases to Catholic Charities in the state while litigation continues. The dispute began when the state legislature failed to enact an exemption that would protect Catholic agencies who refuse to place children with same-sex couples who now may enter civil unions in Illinois. (See prior posting.) Three dioceses sued to confirm that they do not need to place children with same-sex couples, and the court granted a preliminary injunction while the litigation was pending in order to prevent abrupt termination of foster care relationships. However the injunction was unclear as to whether it applied only to children already in foster care, or to new referrals as well. So the dioceses filed an emergency motion to clarify that point. (See prior posting.) The state's concession appears to eliminate the need for the court to pass on the emergency motion.