The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services must continue placing foster children with Catholic Charities until a judge decides in August on the Charities' lawsuit against the state. Catholic Charities in the Joliet, Peoria and Springfield dioceses sued the state over the new civil unions law, asking that they be allowed to continue their practice of referring same-sex foster and adoptive parents to DCFS. Sangamon County Judge John Schmidt granted a temporary injunction against forcing the organizations to place children with same-sex couples, just days after the state decided not to contract with Catholic Charities for the new fiscal year beginning July 1. Schmidt later confirmed that his decision not only keeps children and contracts in place, but also requires DCFS to continue referring children to Catholic Charities. DCFS officials wanted to stop sending children to the organizations until an Aug. 17 hearing on the lawsuit. Catholic Charities of Southern Illinois in the Belleville diocese has since joined the lawsuit. — Catholic Conference of Illinois