Working With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Families in Foster Care and Adoption

WHAT’S INSIDEGetting to know the LGBTQ communityLanguage and terminologyAdvantages of including LGBTQ familiesTips for effective recruitment/retentionChallenges faced by LGBTQ adoptive parentsPossible challenges professionals face while working with LGBTQ familiesTips for representing LGBTQ families as potential adoptive parentsSupporting transgender parentsThe basics of creating a welcoming agencyConclusionReferences
During the last decade, child welfare professionals and agencies alike have welcomed the increasing visibility of families headed by LGBTQ parents. A growing number of agencies in the United States, both public and private, have established more supportive practices and are becoming increasingly proactive in recruiting families within the LGBTQ community, which means a larger pool of highly motivated and qualified prospective parents for children who need them. As written in the American Academy of Pediatrics (2013) policy statement titled Promoting the Well-being of Children Whose Parents Are Gay or Lesbian, “Scientific evidence affirms that children have similar developmental and emotional needs and receive similar parenting whether they are raised by parents of the same or different genders.”

Adoption has a lifelong impact on those it touches,
and members of adoptive families may want
professional help when concerns arise. Timely
intervention by a professional skilled in adoption,
attachment, and trauma issues often can prevent
concerns from becoming more serious problems.
This factsheet offers information on the different
types of therapy and providers available to help,
and it offers suggestions on how to find an
appropriate therapist. Foster parents also may find
definitions and descriptions in this factsheet useful.

A major step in building your family through adoption is the home study. The laws of every State and the District of Columbia require all prospective adoptive parents (no matter how they intend to adopt) to participate in a home study conducted by a licensed social worker or caseworker. This process has three purposes:
Educate and prepare the prospective family for adoption
Evaluate the capability and suitability of the prospective family to adopt

There are three types of Resource Family Care providers: foster, adoption, and kinship. Foster caregivers are individuals and families who voluntarily open their hearts and homes to become temporary parents to children in need of a home due to protective or other social service reasons.
Adoptive caregivers provide permanent care for children whose parents have had their parental rights terminated.
Kinship caregivers are related to a child in placement through blood, marriage, civil union, domestic partnership, or adoption. Kinship caregivers may also be connected to the child by an established positive psychological or emotional relationship.
While children are in placement, the resource family offers them loving experiences that promote healthy growth and development. They provide the vital physical and emotional care that children need when they are separated from their biological parents. Foster and adoptive caregivers must first be licensed to provide care. Kinship caregivers may provide care before being licensed if they’re eligible for licensure and are in the process of being licensed.

Youth in foster care or kinship care often have experienced abuse, neglect, chaotic living situations, and placement(s) away from their families. Their histories can lead to complicated emotions and behaviors, and many experience trauma. While youth can heal, often it will take small steps over time with stability, supports, and services.

Haciendo lo que puedas para sentirte lo mejor possible.
Todos podemos beneficiarnos al aprender qué hacer para tener buena
salud. Los jóvenes en cuidado de crianza (foster care) tienen que enfrentar
muchas cosas estresantes en sus vidas. A menudo, se sienten muy heridos
emocionalmente. A veces sus capacidades de manejar los problemas están
agotadas. Pueden necesitar ayuda en resolver cómo manejar sus sentimientos y
mejorar su salud.
Los adolecentes que se sienten tristes o enojados puede que se sientan mejor si
hablan con una persona en quien confían, si hacen algún pasatiempo preferido
o si hacen ejercicio o juegan un deporte. Los jóvenes que se sienten muy mal o
que se comportan de manera inesperada a menudo necesitan ayuda y apoyo
de otras personas. A veces necesitan terapia y/o medicamentos que los puedan
ayudar a controlar sus emociones y sus comportamientos.
Cuando estás herido, a menudo hay varias cosas que puedes hacer para sentirte
mejor. Imagina si te caes y te lastimas el tobillo—puedes tomarte un calmante,
tratar de no caminar sobre él y/o aplicarle hielo. De la misma manera, cuando
te sientes herido emocionalmente, puedes tomar medicamentos, y evitar las
actividades que empeoran la condición.