D.A. Blodgett - St. John's’ Post

There are many misconceptions about fostering, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. It's time to set the record straight! 🌈 In our latest blog, we tackle common myths and highlight the incredible contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals in foster care. 💕#FosterCare #LGBTQSupport #MythBusters #LoveMakesAFamily #FosteringInclusivity #OriginsFosterCare

Recent advocacy efforts by the Ali Forney Center, highlighted in a report by The Imprint News, have led to renewed commitments from NYC leaders to provide more welcoming homes and end hostile treatment for LGBTQ+ foster youth. Upcoming reforms include better policy enforcement, tailored mental health services, and updated training for caregivers. These changes aim to ensure that foster youth feel safe, affirmed, and celebrated in their identities. Supporters, including state legislators and former foster youth, emphasize the urgency of these reforms. It's essential to address the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth in foster care. Learn more about these critical changes and their impact. 🔗 Read full article here: https://bit.ly/4bOC5vt #HeartsToHomes #FosterCareReform #LGBTQYouthSupport #YouthAdvocacy #EmpoweringYouth

Children and youth do not choose to be in foster care, adults have the option to be safe and affirming homes for all children in care or not at all. When at least 1:3 youth in care are LGBTQ+ of which over 90% are youth of color, most LGBTQ+ youth do not think they will live past 35 years old, and one affirming adult can reduce an LGBTQ+ youth’s chance of attempting suicide by 40%, this matter is simple. Safety, wellbeing, and permanency is the priority, not one’s personal beliefs which compromise those things.

During Pride Month, let’s talk about social support for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care in their transition to adulthood. According to this research report, social support is a key protective factor for these youth: https://bit.ly/4bQjwYa #PrideMonth #ChildWelfare #LGBTQ

#DYK: 1 in every 3 children in foster care identify as LGBTQ? That’s why this #NationalFosterCareMonth, the work of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s All Children-All Families program and the work of the current administration to strengthen protections for LGBTQ+ kids in foster care, is more important than ever before. We have brought resources and training to ✅ 1.4 million children, youth, and families. ✅ 30,500 professionals. ✅ 43 states. And there’s still work to be done:https://lnkd.in/eeauE_jN #FosterCareMonth

Along with some colleagues, I wrote this blog about the importance of observing #NationalFosterCareMonth and the impact of a new federal rule issued by the Biden-Harris administration that strengthens protections for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care systems. Check it out! 🏳️🌈

"Advocates question whether the first-of-its-kind law is in a child’s best interest." Um, spoiler alert: It absolutely isn't. The Trevor Project issued a report in 2022 using data from the 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health. Some key takeaways: • 16% of LGBTQ youth reported they had slept away from parents or caregivers because they ran away from home, with more than half (55%) reporting that they ran away from home because of mistreatment or fear of mistreatment due to their LGBTQ identity. • 14% of LGBTQ youth reported that they had slept away from parents or caregivers because they were kicked out or abandoned, with 40% reporting that they were kicked out or abandoned due to their LGBTQ identity. • LGBTQ youth in the sample who reported housing instability or homelessness had nearly two to four times the odds of reporting depression, anxiety, self-harm, contemplation of suicide, or suicide attempts compared to those who did not report housing instability. The data goes on, and I'll link the report in the comments. LGBTQ youth already experience worse mental health outcomes than their straight, cis counterparts. Knowingly putting at-risk youth in an unsupportive household is unconscionable.

It is estimated that in the U.S. one in ten adults are adopted, 30% of youth in foster care identify as LGBTQ+, and there are 117,000 children available for adoption (2022 US Adoption Attitudes Survey, Harris Poll on behalf of the Dave Thomas Foundation). Many LGBTQ+ individuals and couples explore adoption when looking at ways to expand their family. We want as many people as possible to know that Adoption Network Cleveland is here to educate, advocate, and support them! PRIDE in the CLE is a march, a festival, an awareness campaign, a food truck and vendor wonderland, and a multi-stage event with speakers, music, and more. In 2019, the event attracted over 30,000 visitors. On June 1st, Adoption Network Cleveland plans to sponsor an information booth at PRIDE to promote our programs and services to the community. We participate in many outreach events throughout the year, from resource fairs to setting up a table at a library, and these events are often low or no cost. In the wake of re-igniting our outreach in this post-2020 era, we would love to find help with funding increased efforts, starting with a table at Cleveland Pride. Would you like to help? At PRIDE this year we can reserve a nonprofit booth for $300. For a high traffic/prime location booth (preferred), the cost would be $1,000. For $400, we can order staff and volunteer t-shirts, which can be reused for future outreach events. Of course, we will need giveaways for an estimated cost of $2,000. Any leftover giveaways or funding would be used to support our overall outreach efforts and to help those impacted by adoption to find support. If you would like to support our outreach efforts, including PRIDE in the CLE, visit our website and donate via EFT or credit card, click "tribute gift/honor of" and make the tribute name OUTREACH by April 24th. https://ow.ly/SW5m50R5XXs

This could be particularly harmful given the high overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ youth in the foster care system. For example, studies indicate that 30% of youth in the foster care system identify as LGBTQ+, and 5% as transgender. Many of these youth have faced rejection or abuse from their families of origin. They are also more likely to have a history of being subjected to conversion therapy. Placement with new families that subject them to the same harmful practices could have disastrous outcomes. LGBTQ+ youth who are subjected to conversion therapy are more than 2.5 times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the previous year. Read more…

Family Hubs is holding focus groups across the city to co-design a way for parents and carers to be involved decisions about how Family Hubs are run. Do you have a child aged 0-19, or 25 with SEND? If so, they want to hear from you. They would like to know more about your experiences of family services, and your views and thoughts on how to involve parents or carers like you in the ongoing development of Family Hubs, and decisions about how they are run. Exploring: What motivates parents and carers like you to get involved and have a say in the way services are run? What are the best ways to engage with parents and carers? They'll provide some light refreshments, and all participants will receive a £10 Love2Shop voucher to thank you for your time. Places are limited, so please do book a place today by emailing bhfamilyhubs@brighton-hove.gov.uk (dates, times and locations listed in the flyer). All parents and carers are welcome. They especially welcome parents and carers from Black and Racially Minoritised communities, LGBTQ communities and from faith communities and parents and carers of children with SEND. They are also especially keen to hear from parents and carers who are currently underheard including dads, kinship carers and foster carers.