This new report offers the first comprehensive analysis of the troubling lack of explicit laws and policies in most states to protect transgender, gender-expansive and gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth in the child welfare, juvenile justice, and runaway and homeless youth systems (“out-of-home care systems”). The report is co-authored by Lambda Legal, Children’s Rights and the Center for the Study of Social Policy.
Lambda Legal, Children’s Rights and the Center for the Study of Social Policy.
All students need a safe and supportive school environment to progress academically and developmentally. Administrators, faculty, staff, and students each play an important part in creating and sustaining that environment. This guidance is intended to help school and district administrators take steps to create a culture in which transgender and gender nonconforming students feel safe, supported, and fully included, and to meet each school’s obligation to provide equal educational opportunities for all students, in compliance with G.L. c. 76, §5 and the state regulations. The guidance sets out general principles based on the law, and addresses common issues regarding transgender and gender nonconforming students. It offers case studies based on experiences of schools and students in Massachusetts, and reflects the need to consider issues on a case-by-case basis. The list of issues is not exhaustive, and the examples are intended to be illustrative, not prescriptive.
For the past several years, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) has been working to bring attention to the unmet needs of youth in foster care who are expecting a child and/or parenting. This document is the cornerstone of a three-part compendium of sexual and reproductive health guidance and resources for child welfare jurisdictions. This document is intended primarily for child welfare leadership and policy makers. The document briefly explores the urgent need for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care for youth in out-of-home care and lays down nine fundamental principles for action. It provides extensive guidance for jurisdictions as they consider the policies and practices they should have into place to better serve adolescents in or leaving foster care.
This tip sheet focuses on the culturally and linguistically competencies related to Two-Spirit and Native American youth in foster care.
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Tribes & National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections
This resource is dedicated to Two-Spirit and American Indian/Alaska Native LGBTQ children and youth whose lives are impacted by the child welfare system, and to the child welfare professionals, foster and adoptive parents, caregivers, and community members who strive to support them. The tips contained are meant to support child welfare workers, foster and adoptive parents, and caregivers in working with and caring for Two-Spirit and LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning) American Indian/Alaska Native children and youth involved with the child welfare system. These tips may also be helpful to tribal community members that wish to be allies to their young relatives.
This fact sheet is intended to assist and support Native youth who may be Two-Spirit and/or LGBTQ (lesbian/ gay/ bisexual/ transgender/ questioning). Native youth in child welfare placements can experience many challenges, including feelings of abandonment, guilt, shame, disconnection from extended family, and many feelings related to unresolved grief and loss due to multi-generational historical traumas.
The goal of this document is to strengthen families in achieving wellness and stability by assisting youth in feeling connected to resources and communities. It is also meant to support healthy identity, healthy development, reduce the risks of suicide and substance abuse, and strengthen ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) compliance.
This protocol outlines the treatment for transgender, and gender nonconforming people who wish to undergo hormonal or surgical transition.
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health
This is a free workshop kit to help staff in schools, youth-serving organizations, and suicide prevention programs take action to reduce suicidal behavior among LGBT youth. Topics covered include suicidal behavior among LGBT youth, risk and protective factors for suicidal behavior, strategies to reduce the risk, and ways to increase school or agency cultural competence. The kit contains everything needed to host a workshop: a Leader’s Guide, sample agenda, PowerPoint presentations (in PDF), a sample script, and handouts.
Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC; 2011)
This document is one of three in a compendium of sexual and reproductive health guidance and resources for child welfare jurisdictions from a national work group convened by the CSSP. The goal of this document is to provide information and resources to workers to help them effectively support youth (ages 10 to 21) on sexual and reproductive health issues. The other two documents in this series include a policy and practice framework for child welfare leaders and policy makers and practical guidance meant specifically for use by the youth themselves. Both this document and the one designed for youth are aligned with the recommendations on current best practices around sexual and reproductive health policy and practice contained in the policy framework. Includes LGBTQ+ considerations and resources.
This guide is designed to improve foster parents’ skills in supporting LGBTQ youth in the child welfare system. The guide emphasizes the unique role that foster parents can play in reducing risks and stigma while improving youths’ health and well-being in the community.
Child Welfare Information Gateway
This resource reflects the minimum requirements that facilities should meet in order to appropriately address the sexual health care needs of youth in the state’s care. Youth should be provided with confidential, culturally competent care including physical and mental health screenings; universal offers of STI and HIV testing; written information, counseling, and treatment related to pregnancy, STI and HIV transmission and prevention, and sexual violence; and ongoing care and discharge planning related to sexual and reproductive health.
The Center for HIV Law and Policy (2012)
This article describes the history, development, and goals of the Model Standards Project (MSP), a collaboration between Legal Services for Children and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. The article concludes with recommendations for implementation of the standards in local jurisdictions.
Legal Services for Children & National Center for Lesbian Rights (2006)
The PII Approach to Evaluation is part of the overall PII Approach, which integrates implementation science and program evaluation in a coordinated framework.
Children’s Bureau Child Welfare Information Gateway (2014)
This toolkit provides sample legal language for adapting tribal resolutions and codes to recognize the rights of all tribal citizens, including Two Spirit and LGBTQ Natives. This is the third edition of the toolkit published with the support of a growing coalition of national organizations including the National LGBTQ Task Force, the Western States Center and the Center for American Progress.
This tip sheet discuss talking to and working with LGBT-headed families.
National Resource Center for the Permanency and Family Connections (2012)
