Resources on LGBTQ Children and Youth

• CWLA Best Practice Guidelines: Serving LGBT Youth in Out-of-Home Care
  This book contains the first-ever set of comprehensive recommendations about how child welfare and juvenile justice professionals can best serve and work with LGBT youth in state care. The guidelines are divided into eight topical chapters.

• Creating Inclusive Services for LGBT Youth in Out of Home Care: Training Resources
  The Out of Home Youth Advocacy Council (a project administered jointly by Family Builders by Adoption, Legal Services for Children, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights) has developed training resources to support the creation of inclusive services for LGBT Youth in Out of Home Care. These resources include: a Know Your Rights Guide, a “Hate Free Zone” poster, CWLA Best Practice Guidelines, Breaking the Silence: LGBTQ Foster Youth Tell their Stories (a DVD containing short digital stories by former foster youth who identify as LGBT), a PowerPoint presentation about creating inclusive systems of care for LGBT youth, and others. Training tips and key messages are outlined in order to support the effective use of these resources.

• An Epidemic of Homelessness
  This study from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and the National Coalition for the Homeless reviews the available academic research and professional literature to answer some basic questions, including why so many LGBT youth are becoming and remaining homeless.

• Out of the Margins
  The Child Welfare League of America published this report on Regional listening forums highlighting the experiences of LGBTQ youth in care. The information was gathered during 13 listening forums in 2003 and 2004 attended by more than 500 people in 22 states, including social workers, service providers, administrators, caregivers, and LGBTQ youth who are or were in care. Out of the Margins builds on Lambda Legal's 2001 publication, Youth in the Margins, a tool aimed at providing child welfare administrators with recommendations on policies, training, and services to better meet the needs of LGBTQ youth in care. Also on the CWLA site is more information on listening forums, including an outline, sample letter, and templates.

• The Legal Rights of Young People in State Custody: What Juvenile Justice Professionals Need to Know When Working with LGBT Youth
  The Spring, 2006 edition of Child Welfare League of America's publication The Link describes the legal rights of young people in the juvenile justice system, focusing on the particular scenarios that may arise when juvenile justice professionals work with LGBT youth.

• Providing Services and Supports for Youth who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex or Two-Spirit
  This Practice Brief from the National Center for Cultural Competence is for policymakers, administrators, and providers seeking to learn more about (1) youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, or two-spirit (LGBTQI2-S) and (2) how to develop culturally and linguistically competent programs and services to meet their needs and preferences.

• Youth in Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Systems
  The web site of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) includes resources on LGBTQ youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems.

• Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth: Facing Challenges, Building Resilience
  The November/December 2004 issue of the NYU Child Study Center Letter attempts to provide clarification about the developmental and social issues that confront GLB youth. It discusses myths and misconceptions, the specific developmental challenges for GLB youth in establishing their own identity, as well as risk factors affecting their health, social and emotional adjustment. Also discussed are the ways in which parents, teachers and other adults may be supportive and specific resources are listed.

• Lesbian and Gay Adolescents: Identity Development
  This article from the Prevention Researcher discusses the difficulties faced by lesbian and gay adolescents, who must often learn to manage a stigmatized identity without active support and modeling from parents and family. The conclusion, that “access to adult and peer support, accurate information and resources can help enhance coping skills, self-esteem and positive help-seeking behaviors” is an important reminder to those who work with these young people.

• If You Are Concerned about Your Child's Gender Behaviors
  This booklet from Children's National Medical Center is directed to parents who have questions about gender behaviors their children may be displaying as they develop. It describes gender variance and gives suggestions for supporting children and learning more.
  
  
• Focal Point: Serving Lesbian and Gay Youth
  The Spring/Summer 1991 Issue of Focal Point, the bulletin of the Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children’s Mental Health, addresses the special needs of lesbian and gay youth and their families.
  
  

Resources on LGBTQ Parents

• Promising Practices in Adoption and Foster Care
  This guide, produced by the All Children – All Families initiative, offers examples of effective practices for working with GLBT foster and adoptive parents.

• Adoption and Foster Care by Lesbian and Gay Parents in the United States
  This report from the Urban Institute provides new information on GLB adoption and foster care from several government data sources. It offers a demographic portrait of the estimated 65,500 adopted children and 14,100 foster children living with gay and lesbian parents. It also assesses the costs to child welfare systems of proposed bans on allowing GLB people to foster.

• Adoption by Lesbians and Gays: A National Survey of Adoption Agency Policies, Practices, and Attitudes
  The Adoption Institute released this research report, which contains significant findings that promise to inform and help shape attitudes, policy and practice. It shows, for instance, that 60% of adoption agencies now accept applications from homosexuals, and about 40% already have placed children with such adoptive parents. On a broad level, the study also demonstrates how profoundly social attitudes and practices toward gays and lesbians are changing, while the willingness of agencies to accept them as parents means a growing number of children who need homes are moving into permanent families. (October 2003)

• The Effects of Marriage, Civil Union, and Domestic Partnership Laws on the Health and Well-being of Children
  This analysis examining the effects of marriage, civil union, and domestic partnership statutes and amendments on the legal, financial, and psychosocial health and well-being of children whose parents are gay or lesbian is from the American Academy of Pediatrics.It explores the unique and complex challenges that same-gender couples and their children face as a result of public policy that excludes them from civil marriage.

• Daddy & Papa
  Daddy & Papa is a documentary film on parenting by gay men. Through the stories of four different families,the film delves into some of the particular challenges facing gay men who decide to become dads. From surrogacy, foster care, and interracial adoption, to the complexities of gay marriage and divorce, to the battle for full legal status as parents, Daddy & Papa presents a revealing look at some of the gay fathers who are breaking new ground in the ever-changing landscape of the American family. It includes a look at adoption through the foster care system.

• A Provider's Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals
  This consensus-built scientific document from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment seeks to inform administrators and clinicians about appropriate diagnosis and treatment approaches that will help ensure the development or enhancement of effective lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) sensitive treatment services. It provides statistical and demographic information, prevalence data, case examples and suggested interventions, treatment guidelines and approaches, and organizational policies and procedures.

• A Provider's Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals: Training Curriculum
  This curriculum from the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network, which is based on the guide above, offers skill-building knowledge enhancing practical skills to offer sensitive, affirmative, culturally relevant, and effective treatment to LGBT individuals in substance use disorders treatment.