Michigan to Pay Catholic Agency $550,000 for Forcing it to Place Children in LGBT Homes

           (Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer)

St. Vincent Catholic Charities, an adoption agency, is set to receive $500,000 in attorney fees from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services following a recent order by the U.S Supreme Court. This was in lieu of the fact that the government organization attempted to force the faith-based organization to put children in same-sex homes.

In 2019, the case started when the government - supported by attorney general of the state- affirmed that it would put a stop to its contract with the adoption agency because of the Bible-based policy of the agency which prefers homes with a married mother and father.

St. Vincent won the case after it sued the state. It won multiple rounds in court. However, a ruling of a U.S. Supreme Court decision in a different case overruled the state. In 2021, the high court ruled that the city of Philadelphia violated the First Amendment when it tried to compel a Catholic foster care agency to place children in same-sex homes.

The case was settled with St. Vincent maintaining its contract with the state, and the state not forcing it to put children in LGBT homes. Consequently, the agency will be paid $550,000 in attorney's fees and costs. St. Vincent was represented by Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in court.

The decision of the Supreme Court has been lauded by Catholic leaders in the state. Rich Budd, director of marriage and family life for the Diocese of Lansing, told Catholic News Agency, "The teaching of the Catholic Church and, hence, the adoption policy of Saint Vincent is rooted in both faith and reason: That children, on the whole, do best in life when they grow up with a mom and dad who are married to each other.

"To have punished or proscribed that common-sense approach by law would have cruelly prevented Saint Vincent from being of service to couples who yearn for children and to vulnerable children who yearn for parents – hence we celebrate today's agreement."

St. Vincent is one of the oldest adoption and foster agency in the state.