Little Rock - A conservative group is accusing Arkansas officials of holding a "sham" hearing and ignoring public comments before deciding to allow unmarried and same-sex couples to become foster parents.

The Arkansas Family Council, which is campaigning for a similar restriction on the ballot next month, also launched a new offensive touting its initiated act as a fight against a "gay agenda" in the state.

The group's proposal would ban unmarried couples living together from becoming foster or adoptive parents.

The state Department of Human Services said Thursday it will halt its plan to formalize a prohibition on unmarried foster parents that has been in place since an executive directive was signed in 2005. DHS says it will instead propose a policy allowing workers to place foster children on a case-by-case basis.

Family Council officials questioned the timing of the decision, which was announced a week after a public hearing was held on the policy and before the October 18th end of the public comment period. Family Council Vice President John Thomas said the agency had already made up its mind last week.

A DHS spokeswoman denied that agency officials had already made up their mind and said that the policy's public comment period had actually lasted longer than the 30 days required under state law.

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