Kansas’ top child welfare official says allegations that she attempts to block potential adoptions by same-sex couples are “fiction.”

Secretary Phyllis Gilmore says decisions by the Kansas Department for Children and Families and its contractors about troubled children are driven by a desire to find the best homes for them.

The agency faces criticism that it discriminates against gay and lesbian foster parents who want to adopt the troubled children in their care. A gay-rights advocate and Democratic legislator say Gilmore should resign.

But Gilmore told The Associated Press that the department and its contractors are required by state and federal law to keep children with relatives and their siblings as much as possible. She said their decisions are focused on what’s in the best interest of each child.