Smith, Administrator, New York City Human Resources Administration, et al. v. Organization of Foster Families for Equality & Reform et al.

Decided June 13, 1977. William Joseph Brennan Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 76-180 · 431 U.S. 816 (1977) · Cited 1,061 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 9–0.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Meachum v. Fano · 427 U.S. 215 (1976)
• Board of Regents of State Colleges v. Roth · 408 U.S. 564 (1972)
• Prince v. Massachusetts · 321 U.S. 158 (1944)
• Griswold v. Connecticut · 381 U.S. 479 (1965)
• Meyer v. Nebraska · 262 U.S. 390 (1923)
• Mathews v. Eldridge · 424 U.S. 319 (1976)
• Wolff v. McDonnell · 418 U.S. 539 (1974)
• Goldberg v. Kelly · 397 U.S. 254 (1970)
• Stanley v. Illinois · 405 U.S. 645 (1972)
• Perry v. Sindermann · 408 U.S. 593 (1972)
• Goss v. Lopez · 419 U.S. 565 (1975)
• Cafeteria & Restaurant Workers Union, Local 473 v. McElroy · 367 U.S. 886 (1961)
• Craig v. Boren · 429 U.S. 190 (1976)
• Roe v. Wade · 410 U.S. 113 (1973)
• Wisconsin v. Yoder · 406 U.S. 205 (1972)
• Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath · 341 U.S. 123 (1951)
• Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur · 414 U.S. 632 (1974)
• Morrissey v. Brewer · 408 U.S. 471 (1972)
• Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co. · 339 U.S. 306 (1950)
• In Re GAULT · 387 U.S. 1 (1967)
• Boddie v. Connecticut · 401 U.S. 371 (1971)
• Ingraham v. Wright · 430 U.S. 651 (1977)
• Armstrong v. Manzo · 380 U.S. 545 (1965)
• Bell v. Burson · 402 U.S. 535 (1971)
• Loving v. Virginia · 388 U.S. 1 (1967)
• Skinner v. Oklahoma Ex Rel. Williamson · 316 U.S. 535 (1942)
• May v. Anderson · 345 U.S. 528 (1953)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Kerry v. Din · 576 U.S. 86 (2015)
• Santosky v. Kramer · 455 U.S. 745 (1982)
• Caban v. Mohammed · 441 U.S. 380 (1979)
• Lassiter v. Department of Social Servs. of Durham Cty. · 452 U.S. 18 (1981)
• Lehr v. Robertson · 463 U.S. 248 (1983)
• Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl · 570 U.S. 637 (2013)
• Troxel v. Granville · 530 U.S. 57 (2000)
• Roberts v. United States Jaycees · 468 U.S. 609 (1984)
• Zablocki v. Redhail · 434 U.S. 374 (1978)
• Bowen v. Gilliard · 483 U.S. 587 (1987)
• Greenholtz v. Inmates of the Nebraska Penal & Correctional Complex · 442 U.S. 1 (1979)
• Heller v. Doe Ex Rel. Doe · 509 U.S. 312 (1993)
• Quilloin v. Walcott · 434 U.S. 246 (1978)
• Parham v. J. R. · 442 U.S. 584 (1979)
• Bellotti v. Baird · 443 U.S. 622 (1979)
• Block v. Rutherford · 468 U.S. 576 (1984)
• Barry v. Barchi · 443 U.S. 55 (1979)
• Leis v. Flynt · 439 U.S. 438 (1979)
• O'Bannon v. Town Court Nursing Center · 447 U.S. 773 (1980)
• Beal v. Doe · 432 U.S. 438 (1977)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

Explore from here

William Joseph Brennan Jr.’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).