Agency to Take Kids Dumped by Catholic Charities

By Prescott Carlson in News on Jun 17, 2011 7:00PM

Here's some good news in the wake of Catholic Charities Diocese of Rockford decision to cease foster care services because of Illinois' new civil unions law -- a secular non-profit child welfare agency has agreed to step in to help the children that Catholic Charities is leaving behind.

The CCDR had previously stated that it was concerned that the new law would force them to adopt or place children with same-sex couples in lieu of forfeiting state tax dollars or coming under fire from discrimination lawsuits. But the Youth Service Bureau of Illinois Valley does not have those concerns, and the agency gladly accepted almost $4 million in state aid, will oversee additional 300 foster children and has agreed to hire 58 staff members that were let go by Catholic Charities.

Executive director of the Youth Service Bureau told the Tribune that while he was sympathetic to the position the Catholic Charities found themselves in, he feels the needs of the children are too important to "draw those fine lines" of sexual orientation, and that "even if we didn't have a really big need for [foster parents], there's no reason to exclude those folks."

There is still no word on what will happen to the children and staff at the dioceses in Peoria and Joliet who also suspended foster care shortly after Rockford. The dioceses are currently waiting for the ruling on a court petition asking that they be held exempt from discrimination laws and be allowed to only grant foster licenses to married straight couples and "single, non-cohabiting individuals."