JUNE IS
The number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth served by the child welfare system is difficult to establish. Most state child welfare programs do not collect Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) data1 and LGBTQ youth may be afraid to disclose SOGIE identity to child welfare professionals.2 However, a recent study using nationally representative data show that sexual minority youth are overrepresented in child welfare, foster care, and out-of-home placement.3 The Child Welfare Information Gateway offers resources for those working with LGBTQ youth and families.4
PRIDE MONTH
SOGIE TERMINOLOGY SEXUAL ORIENTATION:
“An inherent or immutable enduring emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to other people”
GENDER IDENTITY:
“One’s innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both, or neither—how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.”
GENDER EXPRESSION: “External appearance of one’s gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, haircut, or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine”
CISGENDER:
“A term used to describe a person whose gender identity aligns with those typically associated with the sex assigned to them at birth”
TRANSGENDER:
“An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.”
For more information, visit the Human Rights Campaign’s Glossary of Terms.5
FACTS & FIGURES 30.4%
A large California-based study showed that 30.4% of youth in foster care identified as LGBTQ, higher than a nationally representative sample showing 11.2% of youth identify as LGB.6
Some scholars suggest LGBTQ youth enter care at higher rates due to disproportionate family rejection and maltreatment,7 though others have found similar pathways to care as the general population of youth (e.g., parental substance abuse and mental health).8
Within the child welfare system, compared to cisgender heterosexual youth, LGBTQ youth are more likely to:9 g g g g g
Have experienced homelessness Live in a group home or residential facility Experience a greater number of total placements Be hospitalized for emotional reasons Report being treated less well by the child welfare system
Family rejection is a unique barrier to reunification for LGBTQ youth. One study found most LGBTQ youth in foster care experienced rejection from at least one family member or caregiver.8
Gay and lesbian foster care alumni describe ideal foster families as accepting and affirming and emphasize the need for open dialogue.10
INSTITUTE AFFILIATES We have several affiliates with expertise related to the LGBTQ population. Learn more about their work in our affiliate directory:
FICW.FSU.EDU/AFFILIATES
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MORGAN COOLEY, PH.D., MSW Florida Atlantic University
RENE’ LEDFORD, MSW, LCSW, BCBA
Children’s Home Society of Florida KAREN OEHME, J.D. Florida State University
Martin, M., Down, L., & Erney, R. (2016). Out of the shadows: Supporting LGBTQ youth in child welfare throughcross-system collaboration. Washington, DC: Center for the Study of Social Policy. Retrieved from https://cssp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Out-of-the-Shadows-Supporting-LGBTQ-youth-in-child-welfare-through-cross-system-collaboration-web.pdf Youth.gov. (n.d.). Experiences of LGBTQ youth in child welfare systems. Retrieved from https://youth.gov/youth-topics/lgbtq-youth/child-welfare Fish, J. N., Baams, L., Stevenson Wojciak, A., & Russell, S. T. (2019). Are sexual minority youth overrepresented in foster care, child welfare, and out-of-home placement? Findings from nationally representative data. Child Abuse & Neglect, 89, 203-211. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.01.005
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Child Welfare Information Gateway. (n.d.). Working with LGBTQ youth and families. Retrieved May 29, 2020 from https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/diverse-populations/lgbtq
5
Human Rights Campaign. (n.d.). Glossary of terms. Retrieved May 29, 2020 from https://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms
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Baams L., Wilson, B., Russell, S. (2019). LGBTQ Youth in Unstable Housing and Foster Care. Pediatrics, 143(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-4211
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McCormick, A., Schmidt, K., & Terrazas, S. R. (2017). LGBTQ youth in the child welfare system: An overview of research, practice, and policy. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 11(1), 27-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2016.1221368 Mountz, S., & Capous-Desyllas, M. (2020). Exploring the families of origin of LGBTQ former foster youth and their trajectories throughout care. Children and Youth Services Review, 109, 104622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104622 Wilson, B. D. M., & Kastanis, A. A. (2015). Sexual and gender minority disproportionality and disparities in child welfare: A population-based study. Children & Youth Services Review, 58, 11-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.08.016 McCormick, A., Schmidt, K., & Terrazas, S. R. (2016). Foster family acceptance: Understanding the role of foster family acceptance in the lives of LGBTQ youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 61, 69-74.
The Florida Institute for Child Welfare seeks to promote safety, permanency, and well-being among the children and families of Florida that are involved with the child welfare system. FICW.FSU.EDU
@FSUChildWelfare