April 2011Vol. 12, No. 3New Resources for Workers and LGBT Families
A number of T&TA Network members have developed or added resources to help child welfare workers support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) families, including prospective foster and adoptive families. The following are some examples of those resources.
The National Resource Center for Recruitment and Retention of Foster and Adoptive Parents (AdoptUSKids) has posted new resources for LGBT foster and adoptive families and the child welfare practitioners who work with them:
- Improving Recruitment Outcomes: 11 Things a Practitioner Can Do discusses what you need to know and how to respond for successful recruitment of LGBT parents.
- Recruiting and Retaining LGBT Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Families: Sending a Welcoming Message offers specific suggestions of welcoming, inclusive language to use as you work with LGBT prospective parents.
- A three-part series of tip sheets, Talking with Experts on Engaging LGBT Families, explores such topics as creating a welcoming environment and building agency competency.
- Barriers and Success Factors in Adoption from Foster Care: Perspectives of Lesbian and Gay Families reports the experiences and recommendations from interviews with 10 lesbian and gay families.
The publications can be downloaded for free in PDF or ordered in hard copies on the AdoptUSKids website:
http://adoptuskids.org/content.aspx?k=LGBT-Resources
The National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections offers a full webpage of resources for LGBT parents and prospective parents and for the child welfare professionals who work with them. Resources include items from the States and legislation:
www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/info_services/lgbtq-issues-and-child-welfare.html
Child Welfare Information Gateway recently published two new items related to LGBT families. Both can be downloaded for free on the Information Gateway website:
- Working With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Families in Adoption is a bulletin for professionals:
www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_profbulletin - Frequently Asked Questions From Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Prospective Foster and Adoptive Parents can be used by professionals or distributed to LGBT parents to answer common questions:
www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/faq_lgbt.cfm