LGBTQ youth in foster care often live under intolerable conditions. First, they must cope with the turmoil that all children face in America’s child welfare system. Due to homophobia or ignorance, LGBTQ adolescents often suffer the added burdens of neglect, discrimination and even abuse at the hands of the very child welfare system charged to protect them. This mistreatment is perpetrated not only by youth peers, but also by group home staff, foster parents, case workers or others charged with the care of foster children. For example, one gay-identified foster youth, after reporting that he was attacked by other boys in his group home, was told by the program’s director, “Well, if you weren’t a faggot they wouldn’t beat you up.” Even when adults are not the perpetrators they often condone or do not challenge the abuse inflicted by others. As a result of harassment and rejection, LGBTQ youth in foster care run a far greater risk than their heterosexual or gender-conforming peers of experiencing depression, abusing drugs and alcohol, becoming homeless, and attempting or committing suicide.

California has long been at the forefront of policy and program development to support LGBTQ youth in care. One example of this leadership was the collaborative initiative known as the Model Standards Project which produced the publication Best Practice Guidelines for Serving LGBT Youth in Out-of-Home Care, published by the Child Welfare League of America and distributed to thousands of child welfare advocates throughout the country. Advocacy by those involved with the Model Standards and others throughout the state resulted in the passage of the California Foster Care Nondiscrimination Act (AB 458) in 2004, which prohibits discrimination in the California foster care system on the basis of actual or perceived race, ethnic group identification, ancestry, national origin, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or physical disability, or HIV status. Because training is crucial to enable service providers and caregivers to fulfill their responsibility to provide safe and nondiscriminatory care and services to children in foster care, AB 458 also mandates initial and ongoing training for all group home administrators, foster parents, relative caregivers, non-relative caregivers, and department licensing personnel.

All children in state care deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and should receive services that promote their long-term well-being. This belief is consistent with the federal mandate of safety, permanency and well-being for all children and youth in foster care. The Putting Pride into Practice Project was created to ensure that child welfare professionals throughout the state of California become aware of the tools and resources at their disposal, and that they possess the information and skills needed to make the best use of these resources. In so doing, the Putting Pride into Practice Project, working in close collaboration with child welfare professionals, will improve outcomes for LGBTQ children and youth in foster care in California.