During November, we not only honor National Adoption Month but the over 30% of youth in foster care who identify as LGBTQ+.

National Adoption Month presents an opportunity to raise awareness about adoption through foster care. It is also an opportune time to bring awareness to the overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ youth in child welfare who face unique challenges in finding a supportive, affirming, and stable forever home.

This year’s theme for National Adoption Month is “Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds.” One of the key ways that we can honor LGBTQ+ youth, is to affirm and support their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. We know that when LGBTQ+ youth feel supported in their identity, it can significantly reduce the likelihood of negative health outcomes.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s All Children - All Families program works to ensure that child welfare professionals and caregivers have the right resources and tools needed to support LGBTQ+ youth. This year, TLC Child & Family Services, a longtime partner of the ACAF program, is helping to uplift the impactful story of an LGBTQ+ young person who has lived expertise in child welfare.

Bo* kindly shared their story about the impact of acceptance and affirmation in their life:

External acceptance, I feel it makes it a lot easier for me to just show up and just be me…and self-acceptance, it makes it easier for me to not only show up as me but to accept others, however, they show up."

- Bo

Each and every one of us can play a role in providing affirmation and support to LGBTQ+ youth in foster care. By avoiding passing judgment or rejecting an LGBTQ+ youth’s identity, we can help ensure that we will have a lasting bond with the young people in our lives. Today, we encourage you to commit to ensuring every young person has at least one affirming and supportive adult in their life.

To learn more about All Children – All Families’ work to promote LGBTQ inclusion in child welfare, check out hrc.im/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.

*Names changed for privacy reasons.