In a ruling today the High Court has confirmed that Catholic Care was correct in its reading of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 and has agreed with Catholic Care that Regulation 18 can apply to any charity subject to it being in the public interest.

Catholic Care, which has long-served the Dioceses of Hallam, Leeds and Middlesbrough in placing of some of the most vulnerable children to the care of loving families in our region, has been making strenuous efforts to secure its rights as an adoption agency.

Catholic Care looks forward to producing evidence to the Charity Commission to support the position that they have consistently taken through this process, that without being able to use this exemption children without families would be seriously disadvantaged.

Catholic Care has been providing specialist adoption services for over 100 years and has helped hundreds of children though the recruitment, assessment, training and support for prospective adoptive parents as well as offering on-going and post-adoption support to families that give such security and love for some of the most vulnerable children in our society.

The judgement today will help Catholic Care’s determination to continue to provide this invaluable service to benefit children, families and communities.