Foster care is an essential service that provides children in need with a safe and stable home environment. Within the service, social workers pair up children with foster parents willing and able to provide financial and emotional support.

However, social workers and parents alike sometimes lack the proper knowledge and resources to support the unique needs of transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) kids in foster care, in particular. This isn’t a unique circumstance, either — 30% of youth in foster care identify as LGBTQ+, meaning that it’s important for foster parents to be sensitive to LGBTQ+ issues and identities.

Foster parents must provide a safe space for any child to grow, regardless of their race, culture, sexuality or gender identity. Sensitivity and support in formative years shown by caregivers, including foster parents, school staff and others, is important in decreasing psychological distress for LGBTQ+ youth.

Many transgender and nonbinary individuals have stated they knew from an early age what their gender was — even if they didn’t have the precise language for it. This is why representation is so important, as well as open-minded conversation between parents and children in foster care.

What challenges do transgender youth face?

TGNC identities can meaningfully impact a child’s life in many areas. Discrimination, bullying, and social ostracization — all of which can occur to youth who identify as TGNC — can all cause mental health conditions later in life. These are not issues that all children have to deal with.

According to the Trevor Project, researchers found that transgender and nonbinary youth were two to two and a half times more likely to experience depressive symptoms, which can lead to suicidal ideation or attempts, as compared to their peers. There are several reasons why this has become the case for TGNC youths. Some common struggles transgender and gender non-conforming youth may face include:

• Coming out to family members and explaining, or defending, being transgender;
• Lack of education or knowledge about gender identity available;
• Little guidance or support from usual figures such as parents, teachers, friends, and role-models;
• Body dysmorphia;
• Misinformation surrounding trans identities and care;
• Finding safe spaces to explore gender identity;
• Access to safe medical care for daily medical needs and gender affirming care;
• Harassment, bullying, and humiliation by peers;
• Which restrooms or locker rooms to use out and about, at school, or sports practice;
• At higher risk of sexual assault;
• Participation on field trips where gendered room-sharing is required;
• Barred from participation in sports;
• Unaccommodating gendered dress codes;
• Misnaming and misgendering, both intentionally and unintentionally;
• Being outed by others;
• At a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation due to stress and discrimination.

According to The National Center for Trans Equality, 75% of transgender youth feel unsafe at school. This is an overwhelming majority that simply can’t be ignored. Many of the struggles listed above are directly linked to school and peer-to-peer interaction. Fear of these struggles and these interactions can bar kids from coming out, and worsen feelings of isolation, depression, and overall mental health. This is why external support from guardians is so important in preventing self-harm and suicide in TGNC teens.

Resources for trans youth in foster care

As a guardian of TGNC youth, it’s important not only to educate yourself, but to also provide resources for the children in your care. With these resources, they can educate themselves on their own terms. Everyone’s journey with their identity is different, and some kids may prefer a more hands-off approach. Some resources you can pass on to any trans and gender non-confirming in your care:

• Trans Youth Equality Foundation: Provides education, advocacy, and support for transgender children. They also do the same for their families, so they can foster healthy, caring, and safe environments for all TGNC children. 
• Transgender Law Center: Youth: Works with trans youth and families to advocate for their opportunity to live safe and affirming lives. They provide information for schools and healthcare settings to respect a student’s gender identity. They also have resources to file for a legal name and/or gender change and access to medical care like puberty blockers or hormones, amongst other resources. 
• Foster Care Alumni of America: Strives to ensure a high quality of life for those in and from foster care through the collective voice of alumni. Their priorities include ensuring LGBTQ youth in foster care and alumni have access to affirmative and supportive housing placement and services. 
• The Trevor Project: Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth. 
• It Gets Better Project: Connects LGBTQ youth around the globe and provides media programming and education resources aimed at uplifting and empowering LGBTQ+ youth.  
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Trans and Gender Nonconforming Youth: Offers resources for LGBTQ+ youth about their rights at school and how to effectively advocate for themselves.

These are helpful resources to have as a counselor, social worker, or foster parent — even if your current children don’t identify as TGNC. While these resources are aimed at people who identify as trans, gender non-conforming, and other identities within the LGBTQ+ community, anyone may find them educational.

How to support trans youth in foster care

There are many ways that you can support trans youth in foster care — directly and indirectly. Whether you are a trans or gender non-conforming person looking to provide a better chance for other youths or you are an ally, there are several options when it comes to making foster care more TGNC friendly.

Become a foster parent

Depending on your state and personal history will depend on how easy you find becoming a foster parent. All foster parents will need to meet their state’s qualifications in the following areas:

• Home space and condition; 
• Free time; 
• Income requirements; 
• Residency; 
• Health; 
• Criminal history;
• Pets.

Finding the right foster care agency is just as important to meet these requirements, especially if you are interested in fostering TGNC youth. There are several questions you can investigate to assess whether or not the agency is LGBTQ+ friendly. These include:

• Does the Agency use LGBTQ+ inclusive advertising?
• Do they use LGBTQ+ inclusive paperwork on applications?
• Do they have a non-discrimination statement that includes “gender identity” or “sexual orientation”?
• Do they have reviews indicating working with LGBTQ+ families or children?
• Do they have recommendations from other LGBTQ+ foster and adoptive parents in your community?
• Are they certified in the All Children – All Families project?

There are foster care nondiscrimination laws in place to protect LGBTQ+ foster parents and families from being discriminated against by foster care agencies on the basis of their sexuality or gender identity disqualifying them from foster parenting. However, these laws don’t protect LGBTQ+ youths in the foster system from being placed in what could result in an unsafe home. This is why becoming a foster parent as an LGBTQ+ person or ally is the best, most direct way to improve conditions for LGBTQ+ and TGNC kids in foster care.

Advocate for and support LGBTQ+ youth in foster care

If you, for any reason, cannot or choose not to become a foster parent, there are still ways that you can assist TGNC youths in foster care. Some steps that you can take include:

• Ask people which pronouns they prefer;
• Support kids if they choose to go by a different name;
• Be supportive of their clothing, makeup or style preferences; 
• Encourage personal expressive, regardless of gender roles;
• Show genuine interest in conversations about identity; 
• Address bullying or homophobia directly; 
• Celebrate days of significance such as Trans Awareness Week or Wear It Purple Day;
• Reflect on your awareness and behavior;
• Seek out further education on trans issues and rights;
• Affirm their identity and feelings;
• Respect their coming out process, and don’t assume labels until they are presented; 
• Learn how to support them through any mental health hurdles they experience.

If you’re in a position to provide information on access to trans-friendly healthcare, this can be another important advocacy step. This could include having pamphlets in your office or classroom or having an “open door” policy to discuss sensitive issues one-on-one at the child’s leisure.

Resources for foster parents

Parents and legal guardians play a critical role in the development and support system of transgender and gender non-conforming youths. Despite being foster parents, you can still fill this role while fostering children in your life.

• Family Acceptance Project: Provides research-based, culturally grounded support for religiously and ethnically diverse families with LGBTQ+ children. 
• HealthyChildren: Provides information on how to make a foster home welcome to LGBTQ youth. 
• LGBTQ Youth Child Welfare Guide: Learn about common misconceptions about the community, how to create a welcoming and affirming home, how to support LGBT youth in the community and the relationship between LGBTQ+ youth and the child welfare system. 
• Lambda Legal: Getting Down to Basics: A comprehensive toolkit for those supporting LGBTQ+ youth in foster care. 
• The National Foster Parent Association: Collection of resources created by foster parents for foster parents needing support fostering an LGBTQ youth. 
• Human Rights Campaign: Parenting: Includes various resources on issues facing families with parents or children who identify as LGBTQ+. 
• PFLAG: National, nonprofit that supports families and allies through chapters in all 50 states, and provides additional support and resources online for LGBTQ people, loved ones, and allies. 
• Resources for Adult Caregivers of LGBTQ Youth: General resources for families when raising an LGBTQ youth, compiled by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

It’s important to note when you as a foster parent can make a difference, and when your child needs professional help. Professional intervention may be necessary earlier, or more frequently, in the case of TGNC children and teens, as they are more likely to experience heightened distress.

Resources for school counselors

LGBTQ+ youth already experience higher rates of bullying and discrimination, which can be magnified if they are in foster care. Kids in foster care are another group that experiences high rates of bullying.

School counselors, as well as teachers and administration staff, are integral adults for children and can support them around their peers as well as start the discussion on mental health issues relating to their situation or identity. If your school doesn’t have a counselor — or if you are a counselor that requires more training on LGBTQ+ concerns — you can find a counselor or therapist near you that can help a student through these specialized issues. Other resources for counselors include:

• Bullying; The Hidden Harassment of Foster Children: A resource on how school counselors and educators can combat bullying and prevent additional, accidental harm, like letting classmates know a child is in foster care or commenting on family units. 
• Seattle YMCA: Identifying and Addressing Bullying of Foster Children: Learn about ways to prevent bullying, signs to look out for and what to do if you suspect bullying. 
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center: A program and resources created for professionals who serve youth, particularly LGBT youth, created by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.  
• American School Counselor Association: The School Counselor and LGBTQ+ Youth: ASCA’s guide on how school counselors can promote equal opportunity, development, and achievement for LGBTQ+ youth.

Although not an exhaustive list, these resources are a starting point, particularly for counselors in rural areas who may have less experience in LGBTQ+ issues.

Resources for social workers

Social workers often oversee foster care placements to ensure that kids are safe and secure. They are a vital part of TGNC youth’s experiences in foster care, as they might be the only advocates that they have. This is why social workers need to pursue education on these issues as part of their professional development, so that if and when the instance arises, they can support trans kids on their caseload. Resources for social workers looking for sensitivity and edification training on trans and gender non-conforming issues include:

• Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Children in California Foster Care: A brief put together for getREAL California by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, this provides information that any social worker will find valuable, including an overview of terms and concepts about gender identity, the impact of bias on the health and safety of TGNC children, and legal, professional, and government services to TGNC children in the child welfare system.  
• LGBTQIA2S+ Professional Development: A list of resources provided by the National Association of Social Workers geared at helping social workers expand their professional standards, including services for LGBT individuals. 
• Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in Foster Care: This study, by the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute, outlines data about youth in foster care in LA and the implications of caregivers and social workers on the lives of youth in foster care who identify as LGBTQ+. 
• Supporting LGBTQ2S+ Youth in Foster Care: A course for adults who have roles in the lives of youth in the child welfare system where you can learn about their perspective in foster care, effective practices for improving school climates for these children, and how to promote a child’s health and well-being as it relates to their identity. 
• LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care: General list of resources for social workers and other adults supporting LGBTQ youth in foster care that was compiled by the University of Minnesota Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare.

By creating a more inclusive and supportive environment, we can decrease feelings of unsafety among TGNC youth in foster care. Inclusivity for trans and gender non-conforming kids and teens can, and should, extend past foster care into your everyday life, as the more you practice, the better you’ll get.  It’s important not to assume, or be intrusive, in your efforts to be inclusive. Following the lead of LGBTQ+ individuals in your life, or of individuals online, can help you navigate this.

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