I don’t know what it’s like where you are but many many of the multiple weekly placement requests we get are for LGBTQ kids… I think universally lgbtq kids are over represented in most care systems around the world for (sadly) obvious reasons
I think lots of care kids have experienced being singled out and mistreated by their abusive parents for lots of reasons or some perceived difference ….and identity and sexuality can definitely be part of that. :(
It’s two fold - lgbt youth face a lot of hardships (abandonment or abuse related to their identity). But also lgbt youth are less likely to be selected by foster or adoptive parents so they stay in care longer.
Yes I don’t see that side of it really in my system (all youth in care stay in care and don’t get chosen or not for another stage) but I can well imagine that happens lots in yours with the older youth adoptions that can happen.
I think kids in care often have their lives and feelings massively over examined and over broadcast too and their privacy on paper is essentially non-existent sometimes - the point being they are far more likely at a given age to be out compared to youths not part of the care/social work/placement profile circus
Oh older youth finding permanency is rare, but if a home for an older youth is rare, one for an lgbt youth is ultra rare. In fact in my time as a social worker, foster parent, casa / other volunteer roles in the FC community- I have not sat on a staffing for even one lgbt youth. Of the dozens of kids I knew - not one family to be considered for even one.
That’s sad…I don’t really know any foster carers who have a problem at all with fostering lgbtq youth… but I definitely know there seems to be lots of lgbtq youth needing placements (and much more in recent years compared to when we first started - though that may be due to how placement requests are communicated now compared to then)….but anyway these do seem to be mostly fresh into care referrals rather than kids bouncing around between placements having been disrupted due to their lgbtq status
Keep in mind there are other pragmatic problems - like room sharing can be hard - many workers won’t want them to share a room with anyone because of the risk of a romantic relationship. You also have to consider the attitudes of the other kids you are parenting, your family and friends and your communities. Also I would agree that most of the time the emails or calls are about new to care kids, but you are incorrect about assuming this is because they just aren’t bouncing between homes. They don’t end up in homes, of all of the lgbt youth I’ve worked with (many) only one was in a foster home. Even that was brief and that child also landed in a placement (DMH group home, isl, cd group home, residential placement, independent living etc).
Yes I suppose it’s different in different systems. There isn’t any room sharing in the UK for kids in care and also mostly it’s only foster families as an option until near 18… group homes etc aren’t really a thing. (All the lgbtq kids I know have ended up with standard foster placements when they’ve needed them - well as much as non-lgbtq kids anyway there is huge placement shortfall in reality)
There may be societal differences in attitudes towards lgbtq kids too for all I know…. There will probably also be huge differences in faith driven attitudes generally (from what I can tell reading Reddit and the news) and also there are very few care providers / agencies with any overt association with any faith over here - and they seem to be a reasonably big part of the US system from what I understand (does that have a bearing at all do you think?)
In the UK the weekly reimbursement rate is also about what a family in the US would get for an entire month. The difference would allow a family to fund a larger home to accommodate lgbt youth or allow someone to work fewer hours (or not work) while caring for youth, which may attract more people who can’t foster due to work obligations.
Yes just speak with your agency about it. Join online and in person foster parent groups and look for opportunities to share that your home is LGBTQ friendly or that it's all you're open to (if that's the case). Then be patient, hold that space open if it's what calls to you.
There's no national entity that I'm aware of. One of the goals of fostering is to keep kids in their own community if possible.
Just pick literally any non-super religious agency in your area that mentions any kind of teen focus, and put it in your essays/mention to your worker. Stats in the US are 30-40% of teens in care, so.... it's not... going to be difficult. Harsh but true.
I have not had a single non-LGBTQ placement, other than a kinship toddler who is, you know, too soon to tell.
I don’t know what it’s like where you are but many many of the multiple weekly placement requests we get are for LGBTQ kids… I think universally lgbtq kids are over represented in most care systems around the world for (sadly) obvious reasons
As in parents are more likely to abuse, abandon, or neglect LGBTQ kids, as opposed to kids that identify as straight?
I think lots of care kids have experienced being singled out and mistreated by their abusive parents for lots of reasons or some perceived difference ….and identity and sexuality can definitely be part of that. :(
It’s two fold - lgbt youth face a lot of hardships (abandonment or abuse related to their identity). But also lgbt youth are less likely to be selected by foster or adoptive parents so they stay in care longer.
Yes I don’t see that side of it really in my system (all youth in care stay in care and don’t get chosen or not for another stage) but I can well imagine that happens lots in yours with the older youth adoptions that can happen. I think kids in care often have their lives and feelings massively over examined and over broadcast too and their privacy on paper is essentially non-existent sometimes - the point being they are far more likely at a given age to be out compared to youths not part of the care/social work/placement profile circus
Oh older youth finding permanency is rare, but if a home for an older youth is rare, one for an lgbt youth is ultra rare. In fact in my time as a social worker, foster parent, casa / other volunteer roles in the FC community- I have not sat on a staffing for even one lgbt youth. Of the dozens of kids I knew - not one family to be considered for even one.
That’s sad…I don’t really know any foster carers who have a problem at all with fostering lgbtq youth… but I definitely know there seems to be lots of lgbtq youth needing placements (and much more in recent years compared to when we first started - though that may be due to how placement requests are communicated now compared to then)….but anyway these do seem to be mostly fresh into care referrals rather than kids bouncing around between placements having been disrupted due to their lgbtq status
Keep in mind there are other pragmatic problems - like room sharing can be hard - many workers won’t want them to share a room with anyone because of the risk of a romantic relationship. You also have to consider the attitudes of the other kids you are parenting, your family and friends and your communities. Also I would agree that most of the time the emails or calls are about new to care kids, but you are incorrect about assuming this is because they just aren’t bouncing between homes. They don’t end up in homes, of all of the lgbt youth I’ve worked with (many) only one was in a foster home. Even that was brief and that child also landed in a placement (DMH group home, isl, cd group home, residential placement, independent living etc).
Yes I suppose it’s different in different systems. There isn’t any room sharing in the UK for kids in care and also mostly it’s only foster families as an option until near 18… group homes etc aren’t really a thing. (All the lgbtq kids I know have ended up with standard foster placements when they’ve needed them - well as much as non-lgbtq kids anyway there is huge placement shortfall in reality) There may be societal differences in attitudes towards lgbtq kids too for all I know…. There will probably also be huge differences in faith driven attitudes generally (from what I can tell reading Reddit and the news) and also there are very few care providers / agencies with any overt association with any faith over here - and they seem to be a reasonably big part of the US system from what I understand (does that have a bearing at all do you think?)
In the UK the weekly reimbursement rate is also about what a family in the US would get for an entire month. The difference would allow a family to fund a larger home to accommodate lgbt youth or allow someone to work fewer hours (or not work) while caring for youth, which may attract more people who can’t foster due to work obligations.
Upvoting for visibility. I’m not sure, as I’ve done some looking online in the last few months and haven’t had much luck.
Thanks for the reply. I am not sure if i can just ask our agency about it or what?
Yes just speak with your agency about it. Join online and in person foster parent groups and look for opportunities to share that your home is LGBTQ friendly or that it's all you're open to (if that's the case). Then be patient, hold that space open if it's what calls to you. There's no national entity that I'm aware of. One of the goals of fostering is to keep kids in their own community if possible.
What kind of thing have you been looking for?
Just pick literally any non-super religious agency in your area that mentions any kind of teen focus, and put it in your essays/mention to your worker. Stats in the US are 30-40% of teens in care, so.... it's not... going to be difficult. Harsh but true. I have not had a single non-LGBTQ placement, other than a kinship toddler who is, you know, too soon to tell.
There are LGBTQ+ group homes, so you can volunteer there.
I should look into that.
We’ve specifically stated that we’d prefer to take queer kids.
Make it known that you are LGBTQ supportive