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Achieving permanency for LGBTQ youth
Jill Jacobs1, Madelyn Freundlich
1Family Builders by Adoption, Oakland, CA, USA.
Child Welfare
|July 19, 2006
Summary
Achieving permanency for youth in out-of-home care is vital. This article addresses the specific needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, ensuring their inclusion in permanency planning.
Area of Science:
- Child Welfare
- LGBTQ Studies
- Social Work
Background:
- Permanency for youth in out-of-home care is a national priority.
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are often excluded from permanency discussions.
- Existing efforts for LGBTQ youth rarely prioritize permanency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To integrate permanency planning with the needs of LGBTQ youth.
- To provide models and practices for achieving permanence for LGBTQ youth.
- To offer a youth-driven approach to relational, physical, and legal permanence.
Main Methods:
- Review of national child welfare permanency initiatives.
- Analysis of current practices addressing LGBTQ youth needs.
- Development of a youth development framework for permanency.
Main Results:
- Identified gaps in permanency planning for LGBTQ youth.
- Proposed models and practices for facilitating permanence.
- Highlighted the importance of reunification and alternative family resources.
- Discussed cultural considerations impacting LGBTQ youth permanence.
Conclusions:
- Permanency planning must explicitly include LGBTQ youth.
- A youth-driven, individualized approach is essential for achieving permanence.
- Ongoing support services are critical for sustaining permanency for LGBTQ youth.