Some faith-based agencies in Illinois that try to help the state's most vulnerable residents are in flux over providing foster care services in light of the state's upcoming legal recognition of civil unions.

The Catholic Diocese of Rockford, Ill., said Thursday that it will end its state-funded adoption and foster care program rather than comply with a new law that would require it to place children with gay or unmarried couples. Officials said other dioceses would decide quickly whether to follow suit. ...

Officials from the Rockford Diocese said they were forced to terminate state contracts worth $7.5 million after lawmakers failed to pass an amendment exempting religious groups from provisions of the state's new civil unions law, which will let gay and lesbian couples form civil unions, a rough equivalent to marriage. The law takes effect Wednesday.

Catholic Charities wanted to be allowed to refer unmarried or gay couples to other agencies, as it has for years. ...

Catholic charity groups place children only with married couples or single people — not with couples living together. They consider couples in civil unions to be unmarried and therefore not eligible to adopt or provide foster care through their programs.

If the Legislature does not add a religious exemption, other dioceses could decide to withdraw from the state program, said Bob Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois.

Labels: adoption, Catholic Church, civil unions, discrimination law, foster parenting, gay parenting, Illinois, marital status discrimination, religion, religious liberty, unmarried parents

VOTE

An Irish doctor is facing possible disciplinary action because he declined to provide fertility treatment for an unmarried couple. Dr. Phil Boyle, who practices in a Catholic hospital, was questioned by the Fitness to Practice Committee about an apparent violation of the Equal Status Act, which bars discrimination based on marital status. The law offers no "conscience clause" protection. Although no action ws taken against Dr. Boyle, the couple who protested his policy may raise the issue in another legal forum.

Labels: Ireland, marital status discrimination, Marriage, out-of-wedlock births, religious liberty

VOTE

On March 10, Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), with nine Democratic co-sponsors, introduced the Every Child Deserves a Family Act to address anti-LGBT discrimination in adoption. LGBT equality advocates, however, describe the bill's introduction as only the first step in building support for the nondiscrimination measure.

The bill would make it illegal for any entity involved with adoption or foster care placement that receives federal funding to discriminate in its placement decisions based on sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. States whose statutes or policies conflict with the laws would need to change those policies or risk losing federal adoption funds.

As Stark said at a panel discussion on the bill held at the Capitol on March 11, ''Too many children need a loving home, and we should not close any door to them.''

The bill is modeled closely after the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA), legislation passed in 1994 and amended in 1996 that addressed racial discrimination in adoption placement. MEPA prohibits the use of a child's or prospective parent's race, color or national origin ''from delaying or denying a child's foster care or adoptive placement.''

Labels: adoption, discrimination law, gay parenting, marital status discrimination, Marriage

VOTE