In a win for the City of Philadelphia’s anti-discrimination policies, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld a previous court’s ruling: Organizations cannot discriminate against same-sex couples when finding loving foster homes for children.

At issue in the case is the City’s ability to enforce its longstanding non-discrimination policies, which are set forth in the Fair Practices Ordinance and are incorporated into its contract with Catholic Social Services to provide foster care services for the Department of Human Services.

In the U.S. Court of Appeals’ opinion, a three-judge panel unanimously agreed with the City’s position, ruling that Catholic Social Services is not entitled to a religious exemption from its contractual agreement to abide by the City’s non-discrimination policy.