This year’s celebration shines a light on the thousands of teenagers in foster care -- many of whom are LGBTQ -- and their struggle to find loving, permanent families.

Post submitted by Jean-Phillipe Regis, Senior Manager, Children, Youth and Families

Today begins HRC’s annual celebration of National Adoption Month, a nationwide effort to bring awareness to the more than 400,000 children and youth waiting for a permanent family.

Here are some ways you can celebrate National Adoption Month with HRC’s All Children – All Families Project:

Check out our tips for finding an LGBTQ-friendly adoption or foster care agency
Search for adoption or foster care agencies that have received HRC’s Seal of Recognition for supporting and serving LGBTQ families
Subscribe to All Children - All Families’ newsletter for the latest resources and best practices in child welfare
Watch and share our webinar for foster parents and caregivers for tips on being affirming to LGBTQ youth

This year’s celebration shines a light on the thousands of teenagers in foster care -- many of whom are LGBTQ -- and their struggle to find loving, permanent families. Most recent data shows that there are over 12,000 young people between ages 15 and 17 waiting to be adopted. Researchers have found that up to 20 percent of youth in foster care identify as LGBTQ. This means as many as 2,500 of these teenagers waiting to be adopted could be LGBTQ.

As agencies recruit and license more homes for these young people, HRC helps them recognize that LGBTQ households are an important component of the diverse spectrum of prospective families in this country. Research in the field has long confirmed the significant number of LGBTQ families across the nation and has identified a large pool of LGBTQ adults interested in becoming adoptive parents.

For these reasons, HRC Foundation’s All Children - All Families Project has worked over the past decade to provide support, resources and tools to increase the capacity of child welfare agencies to better assist LGBTQ adults interested in becoming adoptive parents and LGBTQ youth in foster care. The project has worked with more than 90 participating agencies and 60+ have earned HRC’s “Seal of Recognition.” These agencies are working to ensure more LGBTQ youth in foster care have access to competent and affirming support services and LGBTQ families are considered as potential forever homes for children and youth awaiting adoption.

Learn more about All Children–All Families’ work to promote LGBTQ cultural competency in adoption and foster care at hrc.org/acaf.

Want to stay up-to-date on All Children - All Families resources and activities? Subscribe to “Field Forward,” the program’s monthly e-newsletter at hrc.im/field-forward.