Rockford Catholic Charities Ceases Adoption, Foster Care Over Civil Unions

By Prescott Carlson in News on May 27, 2011 6:40PM

The Rockford Catholic Diocese has decided to end adoption and foster care services through Catholic Charities over Illinois' new civil unions law which goes into effect on June 1. The law extends the legal rights currently enjoyed by married couples to same-sex and unmarried couples as well.

Because it receives state funding for its adoption services, the diocese is worried that it will be required to adopt or place children with same-sex couples, or else lose its state tax dollars or face discrimination lawsuits, and is claiming it is being "forced out" by the state. Diocesan director of communication Penny Wiegert said, "Because of... the anticipated legal challenges it will present to our free exercise of religion, the Diocese of Rockford is forced to discontinue all state-funded adoption and foster care operations." The diocese will be working with the Department of Children and Family Services to find alternate placement for the approximately 350 children currently in its care.

State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) took the opportunity for an "I told you so" moment, and was quoted as saying, "What you see now is the beginning of some fallout of the legislation dealing with civil unions and some of the things that maybe weren't thought through."

The Catholic Conference of Illinois has taken a firm stance against adoptions or foster care placement by same-sex couples, and its executive director Robert Gilligan has previously said, "We believe that children are best served by being in the home of a married couple or a single individual. That's not a radical notion." Gilligan added that he will be working with state legislators to push a measure that would exempt faith-based organizations from the law to "protect the groups' religious liberty."

If the other 5 dioceses in Illinois follow suit, it could affect almost 3,000 children currently in foster care.