Justin Bucchio PhDAssistant Professor of Social WorkMiddle Tennessee State University

Justin.bucchio@mtsu.edu

Basics & Historical Context: LGBT Youth in Foster Care

Negative Experiences and Risks

Current Research

Policy

Training

Discussion

I. Nearly Half a Million Children in Foster Care• 12.09% Self-Identify as Being LGB, 5% as T

• Guesstimates in the past

• Reasons for placement

II. Research on Sexual Minority Foster Youth• Scarce

• Mostly prescriptive in nature vs. empiricalAdvocacy materials, training, competencies

• First article identified in the literature in 1979

• First published study in 1998Findings, experiencesIncreased awareness of negative experiences/risks while in care

(U.S. Department of Justice, 2010; Steinhorn, 1979; Mallon, 1998)

Abuse Rejection

Neglect Abandonment

Harassment Minimization of Needs

Isolation Multiple Placements

(Sullivan, 1994; Mallon, 1998; Wilber, Ryan, & Marksamer, 2006; Gallegos, White, Ryan, O’Brein, Pecora, & Thomas, 2011 )

Homelessness Identity Issues

Substance Abuse Incarceration

School Drop-Out Mental Health

Prostitution Social Skills

STDs/STIs Suicide

(Savin-Williams, 2001; McDaniel, Purcell, & D’Augelli, 2001; D’Augelli, & Grossman, 2006,; Hatzenbuehler, 2011; Elze, & McHaelen, 2009 ; Wilber, Ryan, & Marksamer, 2006; Mallon & Woronoff, 2006)

L.A. LGBT Center & The Williams Institute at UCLA (2014)

• 19% of Foster Youth Self-Identify as LGBT ( 13% LGB; 5% T)

• 86% from minority groups: Latino, African-American, or API identified (same as non-foster youth peers)

• More than 18% experienced discrimination related to their perceived sexual orientation / gender identity

• Twice as likely to live in a group home & be treated unfairly by the system

• Higher number of disruptive placements

• 13.5% hospitalized for emotional trauma (triple the percentage of similar hospitalizations for non-LGBTQ youth)

• 56% feel safer on the streets than their group or foster home

• 33.2% of transgender youth have attempted suicide

Protective Factors

Increase Successful Outcomes

Stability

Training

Research

Practice Expectancies and Guidelines

Anti-Discrimination Policies

Staff Conduct/Interaction Guidelines

Documentation

Resources

Coercion or Imposing One’s Beliefs

Language and Terminology

Confidentiality

Disclosure

WHO? HOW?

Workers

Foster Parents

Group Homes

Students

Independent Curriculum

Inclusion of LGBT in Diversity Sessions

1. Right to Safety in Foster Care

2. Right to Services to Prevent Harm

3. Right to Monitoring and Supervision

4. The Right to Safety in Juvenile Detention and Correctional Facilities

5. Right to Safe Conditions of Confinement

6. Right to be Free from Unreasonably Unusually Restrictive Conditions of Confinement

7. Right to Mental and Physical Health Care

8. Right Not to Be Placed in Conditions Amounting to Punishment

(Woronoff, Estrada & Sommer, 2006)

Brown, J. (2008). Foster parents’ perceptions of factors needed for successful foster placements. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 17, 538-554.

Buehler, C., Cox, M. E., & Cuddeback, G. (2003). Foster parents' perceptions of factors that promote or inhibit successful fostering. Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice, 2(1), 61−84.

Buehler, C., Rhodes, K. W., Orme, J. G., & Cuddeback, G. (2006). The potential for successful family foster care: Conceptualizing competency domains for foster parents. Child Welfare League of America, 85(3), 523-558.  

Clements, J. A., & Rosenwald, M. (2007). Foster parents’ perspectives on LGB youth in the child welfare system. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 19, 57-69.

Coakley, T. M., Cuddeback, G., Buehler, C., & Cox, M. E. (2007). Kinship foster parents’ perceptions of factors that promote or inhibit successful fostering. Child and Youth Services Review, 29, 92-109.

Cooper, K., Kastanis, A., Nezhad, S., & Wilson B. (2014). Sexual minority and gender minority youth in foster care: Assessing disproportionality and disparities in Los Angeles. Los Angeles: The Williams Institute.

D’Augelli, A. R., & Grossman, A. H. (2006). Researching lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth: Conceptual, practical, and ethical considerations. Journal of Lesbian and Gay Issues in Education, 3(2/3), 35-56.

Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau (2010). The AFCARS Report. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/tar/report18.htm

Elze, D., & McHaelen, R. (2009). Moving the margins: Curriculum for child welfare services with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth in out-of-home care. New York: The National Association of Social Workers and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Hatzenbuehler, M. L. (2011). The social environment and suicide attempts in lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. Pediatrics, 127, 896-903.

Mallon, G. P. (1998). We don’t exactly get the welcome wagon. New York: Columbia University Press.

Morrison Dore, M. & Mullin, D. (2006). Treatment family foster care: Its history and current role in the foster care continuum. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Sciences, 87(4), 475-482

  Ragg, D. M., Patrick, D., & Ziefert, M. (2006). Slamming the closet door: Working with gay and lesbian

youth in care. Child Welfare, 85(2), 243-265.

Savin-Williams, R. C. (2001). Suicide attempts among sexual minority youth: Population and measurement issues. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69, 983-991.

  Steinhorn, A. I. (1979). Lesbian adolescents in residential treatment. Social Casework: The Journal of

Contemporary Social Work, 60, 494-498.

Sullivan, T. R. (1994). Obstacles for effective child welfare service with gay and lesbian youths. Child Welfare League of America, 50(4), 291-303.

Gallegos, A., White, C. R., Ryan, C., O’Brein, K., Pecora, P. J., & Thomas, P. (2011). Exploring the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning adolescents in foster care. Journal of Family Social Work, 14, 226-236.

U.S. Department of Justice (2010). Bureau of Justice Statistics special report: Sexual victimization in juvenile facilities reported by youth, 2008-09 (NCJ Report No. 228416). Retrieved from http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/svjfry09.pdf

  Wilber, S., Ryan, C., & Marksamer, J. (2006). CWLA best practice guidelines: Serving LGBT youth in out-of-

home care. Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America.

Woronoff, R., Estrada, R., & Sommer, S. (2006). Out of the margins: A report on regional listening forums highlighting the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth in care. New York: Lambda Legal Defense

  and Education Fund and Child Welfare League of America.