In a unanimous decision, the US Supreme Court has ruled that the city of Philadelphia should not require Catholic Social Services to provide foster-care referrals for same-sex couples. The city had cut off funding for the archdiocesan agency, citing an anti-discrimination rule. The archdiocese contested the decision, arguing successfully that the policy would force the agency to violate its own religious principles.

The Supreme Court decision creates a precedent for other Church-related agencies have been pressed to accommodate homosexual demands. Some Catholic agencies have chosen to discontinue foster-care or adoption services rather than challenge those demands.