All Children All Families: Field Forward

Many in our community are experiencing the heaviness of recent events and a range of emotions including fear, anger, sadness, grief, hopelessness, and exhaustion. These emotions are real, and we feel them too. No matter the circumstances, our community is in this together. Though the path ahead may be uncertain, we remain committed to a future where everyone is seen, heard, and valued.

The Human Rights Campaign and our community have weathered many storms together, including a previous Trump administration, and we will show up and are with you. We are moving forward together in resistance and resilience. We know the challenges ahead and we are confident that we have time to prepare.

You may be wondering, “What should I do right now?” You are not alone — we have heard this question countless times from our members and supporters across the country. We have created THIS RESOURCE PAGE to answer some of your most pressing questions post-election. The information that follows is general guidance and information that can help each person and each family make decisions that feel right for them, but it is not legal advice. We strongly encourage you to seek expert advice about your particular situation from your own healthcare provider and/or legal counsel.

To access the resource webpage, click HERE.

To access the downloadable resource guide directly, click HERE.

Additional support resources for LGBTQ+ Communities can be found below (links are not live through the digital image included).

• The 988 Lifeline – Call, text, or chat: 988lifeline.org 

• The Trevor Project – 24/7 crisis counseling

• CenterLink’s Database of Local LGBTQ+ Centers & Programs

• PFLAG – support of family members of LGBTQ+ people with local chapters across the country

• Q Chat Space – online moderated chat for LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-19 

• imi Guide – resources for LGBTQ+ youth by LGBTQ+ youth

This National Adoption Month, we are taking time to raise awareness about adoption through foster care while also highlighting the significant overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ youth in the child welfare system. LGBTQ+ youth deserve supportive and stable forever homes, and we know that a key contributor to improved health outcomes for these youth is the affirmation and support of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

Every one of us can play a role in providing affirming support to LGBTQ+ youth in the foster care system. In celebration of this year’s National Adoption Month theme of “Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds”, we are delighted to share the story of Bo*, an LGBTQ+ young person from TLC Child & Family Services, a longtime partner of the ACAF program. 

Please visit HRC’s blog to listen to Bo’s story about the impact of acceptance and affirmation on their life.

This National Adoption Month, and all days beyond, we encourage you to commit to ensuring every young person has at least one affirming and supportive adult in their life.  

*Name changed for privacy reasons.

This year’s National Adoption Month Celebration webinar hosted by the Children’s Bureau features a variety of child welfare professionals and lived experience experts discussing the significance of cultivating lifelong connections for older youth and diving into the ways in which folks can learn from adolescents and young adults to better meet their needs. 

With presentations from the Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency (QIC-EY) and a moderated roundtable on “Youth, Family, and Professional Voices and Perspectives”, this webinar provides an excellent opportunity to tune in to the most current conversations around providing safety, permanency, and well-being to youth in the child welfare system.

You can watch the webinar HERE. 

AdoptUSKids, a national project that works to ensure children, teens, and young adults in foster care find safe, loving, and permanent homes, provides educational support and resources to prospective foster and adoptive parents via their AdoptUSKids Blog. Below are links to just a few resources that you may find helpful. 

• The Adoption Journey of Brian and Jarrod: This article follows the adoption journey of Brian and Jarrod, two prospective foster dads who discover the joys of parenting a young teen despite initial skepticism. Read how the couple grew to become vocal proponents of older youth adoption, and how their son is working to “show other teens in foster care that they are extraordinary people who can achieve their dreams” by clicking HERE. 

• The Navigating Adoption Podcast: Tune into this six-part series that features a plethora of real adoptive families and adoption experts as they discuss the unexpected rewards of adopting a teen from foster care. You can listen by clicking HERE. 

• Sibling Bonds: Three Families Share Their Stories of Adopting Siblings: This blog post features the stories of three families who navigated the unique and rewarding journey of sibling foster care and adoption. Read more about their experiences by clicking HERE. 

Join the Youth Well-Being Team on Wednesday, December 11th from 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET for the December edition of their monthly Project THRIVE webinar series, “Othermothered: The Importance of Chosen Family During the Holidays.”

The holidays can be hard for everyone, especially for LGBTQ+ youth who often have to navigate being around their family while masking their identities. Attendees will hear from a panel of “gay parents” aka othermothers who will provide tips on how to support youth during the holidays and beyond and ways to connect them with mentors who may become “gay” parents. Attendees will leave this webinar with an understanding of why these mentors are so important to LGBTQ+ youth and a new understanding of how to support the young people in their lives.

To register for the webinar, click HERE.

Published by FosterClub, this helpful guide covers a few ways folks can cultivate a supportive, affirming, and loving environment for foster youth during the holidays.

Learn 12 ways that you can provide support to youth in your care by clicking HERE.

As the holiday season fast approaches, this blog post from journalist and foster care youth advocate Jamerika Haynes-Lewis provides insight into the ways in which foster and adoptive families can help youth in their homes feel accepted and included during the holidays and beyond.

Read about six ways you can support foster and adoptive youth in your care by clicking HERE.

Trans and non–binary teens face the same rites of passage into adulthood as everyone else does, and live far more relatable lives than anti-LGBTQ+ bullies would have you believe. That’s the key message of “Daniel Really Suits You,” a video campaign that follows Daniel, a trans youth, as he navigates the landmarks of young adulthood such as learning how to shave and parallel parking the family car.

Through the lens of Daniel’s life, we see that trans stories are everyone’s stories. Watch the full video HERE, as well as the 15s and 30s versions.