Welcome to our LGTBQ Youth in Foster Care resource page! This page was developed in order to connect foster parents, caregivers, and other adults supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGTBQ) youth in foster care to national and local resources. In the categories below you will find the ” “ symbol which identifies those that are Minnesota-specific.

 

Caregivers and Other Supportive Adults

Caregivers

  • PFLAG Twin Cities Chapter – PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Allies of Lesbians and Gays) is a national organization that provides support and education for parents and families while also encouraging advocacy for LGBT youth. The PFLAG Twin Cities chapter is closed, but the former PFLAGTC support groups are continuing (and accepting new members) at another Twin Cities location – The Family Partnership (TFP).
  • Project CLEAR (Consent Leads to Empowered Affirming Relationships) A program within RECLAIM, Project CLEAR supports queer and trans youth in the Twin Cities to identify, prevent and heal from sexual violence and unhealthy relationships. They offer individual, group and family therapy, peer education workshops, and staff training.
  • The Bridge for Youth Located in Minneapolis, MN, offers a range of services to youth and their families who are experiencing crisis, including homelessness, violent crime, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and others. Not a LGBTQ specific organization, but they do offer weekly LGBTQ support groups. They have a helpline via text 612-400-7233 or voice 612-377-8800.
  • Transforming Families: “Transforming Families is a community where transgender, gender non-conforming, and questioning youth and their families come together to support each other in a safe, welcoming space.” Support and networking for both youth and parents.
  • Child Welfare Information Gateway, Supporting Your LGBTQ Youth: A Guide for Foster Parents (2013).
  • Youth Connections Scale – An assessment to help caregivers know the supportive adult connections in their youth’s life and areas where they may need more support to meet their needs.
  • Fostering Transitions: A CWLA/Lambda Legal Joint Initiative, Families Supporting an LGBTQ Child (2012). This document provides some steps and information about how to support a LGBTQ child.
  • Human Rights Campaign Glossary – A comprehensive list of terminology.
  • Gender Terminology – This is a glossary of terms specific to gender. There are other glossaries that are more comprehensive, but this is another resource for those learning terms for the first time.
  • Dos and Don’ts – A list of appropriate terms and terms to avoid. It also provides reasons why and example sentences. This is a good beginning resource that can be shared with others who may not know what to say or how to say it.
  • Supporting and Caring for Our Bisexual Youth – This new report helps parents, caregivers, social workers, teachers, and other youth-serving professionals understand the lived experiences of bisexual youth and ways to effectively nurture and guide them toward a successful future.
  • 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report – This report discusses the lived experiences of 12,000 LGBT teens and is the largest survey of its kind. It shows the challenges they face at home, in their communities, and in their schools.
  • National Coming Out Day Report – This report explores the coming out experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth—to whom they come out, in what settings, obstacles they experience, and the ways in which coming out may be related to their personal well–being, sense of safety, and their connections to family, school and community.
  • 2018 Gender-expansive Youth Report – This report discusses the challenges and barriers facing transgender and gender-expansive youth around the country.
  • 2018 Supporting and Caring for Our Gender-expansive Youth – This report discusses the experiences teens whose gender identity and expression expand the conventional understanding of gender and is designed to provide adults with a better understanding of these youth to communicate more effectively and offer support.
  • New York Administration for Children’s Services, LGBTQ Affirming Foster and Adoptive Parents Needed, (nd). This document provides steps for foster parents to make their home environment affirming for LGBTQ youth.
  • All Children – All Families Webinar Series, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation offers a free webinar and training series specifically geared for out of care systems. Topics include an introduction to LGBTQ cultural competency, best practices for serving LGBTQ parents, and best practices for serving LGBTQ youth in out-of-home care.
  • Explore: Adoption – Human Rights Campaign, the HRC offers a number of resources to LGBTQ people interested in adopting.

Supportive Adults

Family

  • Pride festival family specific activities – Each summer, annual Pride festivals are held for all members of the LGBTQ community throughout the country. Often, these are the biggest LGBTQ events of the year and many offer various family-specific activities during the weekend of the festival. An internet search should assist in locating Pride celebrations nearby. Twin Cities Pride.
  • Family Practice podcast – “Family Practice is an informal interview-style podcast dedicated to the stories, experiences, and expertise of LGBT identified medical providers.” Available on various platforms.
  • LGBT Stories podcast – A popular LGBT podcast. “LGBT Stories documents the struggles, hardships, questions, joys, eye-openers and more, that many in the LGBTQI community have faced as they’ve opened up with the public, their families and most importantly themselves about their true identity, the decision to come out and what life is like today for them.” This podcast may use explicit language. Available on various platforms.
  • The Family Acceptance Project, Supportive Families, Healthy Children: Helping Families with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Children (2009), available for download.
Gender Identity
  • Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition: Free services to transgender individuals, including support groups, shot clinics for hormones, and Hep C and HIV testing. A great resource for transgender youth who cannot access transition services. Drop-in support groups.
  • Transforming Families: “Transforming Families is a community where transgender, gender non-conforming, and questioning youth and their families come together to support each other in a safe, welcoming space.” Support and networking for both youth and parents.
  • Project CLEAR (Consent Leads to Empowered Affirming Relationships) A program within RECLAIM, Project CLEAR supports queer and trans youth in the Twin Cities to identify, prevent and heal from sexual violence and unhealthy relationships. They offer individual, group and family therapy, peer education workshops, and staff training.
  • RECLAIM: Located in St. Paul, MN, RECLAIM offers individual, group and family therapy for queer and transgender youth and young adults ages 12-26 and their families. 80% of the youth served self-identify as transgender or gender nonconforming. They emphasize training practitioners to provide gender competent care. They also focus on the intersection of gender and race.
  • The Bridge for Youth Located in Minneapolis, MN, offers a range of services to youth and their families who are experiencing crisis, including homelessness, violent crime, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and others. Not a LGBTQ specific organization, but they do offer weekly LGBTQ support groups. They have a helpline via text 612-400-7233 or voice 612-377-8800.
  • Family Tree Clinic – Affordable, sliding fee health services specifically for LGBTQ youth, including trans hormone care, STI testing, and free HIV testing for uninsured patients. 
  • They/Them Project – An engaging website devoted to sharing photo portraits of transgender and gender-expansive individuals with their stories, experiences, and perspectives.
  • Gender Terminology – This is a glossary of terms specific to gender. There are other glossaries that are more comprehensive, but this is another resource for those learning terms for the first time.
  • Dos and Don’ts – A list of appropriate terms and terms to avoid. It also provides reasons why and example sentences. This is a good beginning resource that can be shared with others who may not know what to say or how to say it.
  • Family Practice podcast – “Family Practice is an informal interview-style podcast dedicated to the stories, experiences, and expertise of LGBT identified medical providers.” Available on various platforms.
  • 2018 Gender-expansive Youth Report: This report discusses the challenges and barriers facing transgender and gender-expansive youth around the country.
  • 2018 Supporting and Caring for Our Gender-expansive Youth: This report discusses the experiences teens whose gender identity and expression expand the conventional understanding of gender and is designed to provide adults with a better understanding of these youth to communicate more effectively and offer support.
Youth
LGBT asian lesbian couple
  • Face to Face – Located in St. Paul, MN, this clinic provides LGBTQ youth with mental health therapy and general medical care for little or no cost. They also provide support for basic needs met such as food, shower, clothing, etc.
  • Gay straight alliances/gender sexuality alliances at schools – GSAs offer LGBTQ youth opportunities to connect with other youth and supportive adults. They are found at many college campuses and high schools.
  • Project CLEAR (Consent Leads to Empowered Affirming Relationships) A program within RECLAIM, Project CLEAR supports queer and trans youth in the Twin Cities to identify, prevent and heal from sexual violence and unhealthy relationships. They offer individual, group and family therapy, peer education workshops, and staff training.
  • RECLAIM: Located in St. Paul, MN, RECLAIM offers individual, group and family therapy for queer and transgender youth and young adults ages 12-26 and their families. 80% of the youth served self-identify as transgender or gender nonconforming. They emphasize training practitioners to provide gender competent care. They also focus on the intersection of gender and race.
  • The Bridge for Youth Located in Minneapolis, MN, offers a range of services to youth and their families who are experiencing crisis, including homelessness, violent crime, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and others. Not a LGBTQ specific organization, but they do offer weekly LGBTQ support groups. They have a helpline via text 612-400-7233 or voice 612-377-8800.
  • Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition: Free services to transgender individuals, including support groups, shot clinics for hormones, and Hep C and HIV testing. A great resource for transgender youth who cannot access transition services. Drop-in support groups. Unique to this organization, they also offer a “Little Rainbows” support group for children under 12 years old. Their Facebook page has details on times and locations and opportunities to network with other families.
  • Transforming Families: “Transforming Families is a community where transgender, gender non-conforming, and questioning youth and their families come together to support each other in a safe, welcoming space.” Support and networking for both youth and parents.
  • Camp True Colors – Summer camps specific to LGBTQ youth Family Tree Clinic – Affordable, sliding fee health services specifically for LGBTQ youth, including hormone therapy, STI testing, and free HIV testing for uninsured patients.
  • LGBT Stories podcast – A popular LGBT podcast. “LGBT Stories documents the struggles, hardships, questions, joys, eye-openers and more, that many in the LGBTQI community have faced as they’ve opened up with the public, their families and most importantly themselves about their true identity, the decision to come out and what life is like today for them.” This podcast may use explicit language. Available on various platforms.
  • MENTOR – the nation’s leading youth mentoring organization. Not a LGBTQ specific organization. Find your local chapter in order to search for a mentor in your area, and inquire about who is an affirming match for your LGBTQ youth. Minnesota chapter of MENTOR
  • Because You Mentored Me – a short video from the perspective of successful adults who were mentored as youth. Preparing for your Mentoring Relationship – a short video with information and guidance for youth prior to being a mentee to help ensure it is a positive, helpful experience.
Rural Communities
female legs in LGBT socks raised up on a wheat field
  • OutFront offers a directory according to regional areas of Minnesota.
  • Psychology Today Therapist Locator A tool to find therapists according to zip code. They offer filters that provide results according to accepted insurance plans, specialties, fees, and a brief personal description and a photo of each therapist listed. It is important to call and ask questions about their comfort level, experience, and affirming approaches surrounding LGBTQ-related concerns and identities.
  • GLSEN, Strengths and Silences: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students in Rural and Small Town Schools, (2012).
  • Gender Terminology – This is a glossary of terms specific to gender. There are other glossaries that are more comprehensive, but this is another resource for those learning terms for the first time.
  • Dos and Don’ts – A list of appropriate terms and terms to avoid. It also provides reasons why and example sentences. This is a good beginning resource that can be shared with others who may not know what to say or how to say it.
  • Supporting and Caring for Our Bisexual Youth: This new report helps parents, caregivers, social workers, teachers, and other youth-serving professionals understand the lived experiences of bisexual youth and ways to effectively nurture and guide them toward a successful future.
  • 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report: This report discusses the lived experiences of 12,000 LGBT teens and is the largest survey of its kind. It shows the challenges they face at home, in their communities, and in their schools.
  • National Coming Out Day Report: This report explores the coming out experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth—to whom they come out, in what settings, obstacles they experience, and the ways in which coming out may be related to their personal well–being, sense of safety, and their connections to family, school and community.
  • 2018 Gender-expansive Youth Report: This report discusses the challenges and barriers facing transgender and gender-expansive youth around the country.
  • 2018 Supporting and Caring for Our Gender-expansive Youth: This report discusses the experiences teens whose gender identity and expression expand the conventional understanding of gender and is designed to provide adults with a better understanding of these youth to communicate more effectively and offer support.
Advocacy
The White House is lit up in rainbow colors to celebrate the Supreme Court's opinion legalizing gay marriage in all fifty states
  • Outfront Minnesota: An organization focused on public policy, coalition building, education, anti-violence, law, and school Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) networks. They offer events for advocacy and a helpline. Helpline: 800-800-0530
  • RECLAIM: Located in St. Paul, MN, RECLAIM offers individual, group and family therapy for queer and transgender youth and young adults ages 12-26 and their families. 80% of the youth served self-identify as transgender or gender nonconforming. They emphasize training practitioners to provide gender competent care. They also focus on the intersection of gender and race.
  • Make an Impact: Mentor in Real Life – a short video about the benefits of mentoring for youth.
  • Because You Mentored Me – a short video from the perspective of successful adults who were mentored as youth.
  • Human Rights Campaign Glossary A comprehensive list of terminology
  • Gender Terminology – This is a glossary of terms specific to gender. There are other glossaries that are more comprehensive, but this is another resource for those learning terms for the first time.
  • Dos and Don’ts – A list of appropriate terms and terms to avoid. It also provides reasons why and example sentences. This is a good beginning resource that can be shared with others who may not know what to say or how to say it.
  • Supporting and Caring for Our Bisexual Youth: This new report helps parents, caregivers, social workers, teachers, and other youth-serving professionals understand the lived experiences of bisexual youth and ways to effectively nurture and guide them toward a successful future.
  • 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report: This report discusses the lived experiences of 12,000 LGBT teens and is the largest survey of its kind. It shows the challenges they face at home, in their communities, and in their schools.
  • National Coming Out Day Report: This report explores the coming out experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth—to whom they come out, in what settings, obstacles they experience, and the ways in which coming out may be related to their personal well–being, sense of safety, and their connections to family, school and community.
  • 2018 Gender-expansive Youth Report: This report discusses the challenges and barriers facing transgender and gender-expansive youth around the country.
  • 2018 Supporting and Caring for Our Gender-expansive Youth: This report discusses the experiences teens whose gender identity and expression expand the conventional understanding of gender and is designed to provide adults with a better understanding of these youth to communicate more effectively and offer support.
  • New York Administration for Children’s Services, LGBTQ Affirming Foster and Adoptive Parents Needed, (nd). This document provides steps for foster parents to make their home environment affirming for LGBTQ youth.
  • All Children – All Families Report, Human Rights Campaign Foundation: This project promotes LGBTQ-inclusive policies and affirming practices among child welfare agencies. The report also features profiles of child welfare organizations that are setting the bar for LGBTQ inclusion, as well as profiles of the LGBTQ youth and clients they serve. Ramsey County of Minnesota is 1 of the 70 agencies profiled.
  • Because You Mentored Me – a short video from the perspective of successful adults who were mentored as youth. Human Rights Campaign Glossary A comprehensive list of terminology
  • Gender Terminology – This is a glossary of terms specific to gender. There are other glossaries that are more comprehensive, but this is another resource for those learning terms for the first time.
  • Dos and Don’ts – A list of appropriate terms and terms to avoid. It also provides reasons why and example sentences. This is a good beginning resource that can be shared with others who may not know what to say or how to say it.
  • Supporting and Caring for Our Bisexual Youth: This new report helps parents, caregivers, social workers, teachers, and other youth-serving professionals understand the lived experiences of bisexual youth and ways to effectively nurture and guide them toward a successful future.
  • 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report: This report discusses the lived experiences of 12,000 LGBT teens and is the largest survey of its kind. It shows the challenges they face at home, in their communities, and in their schools.
  • National Coming Out Day Report: This report explores the coming out experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth—to whom they come out, in what settings, obstacles they experience, and the ways in which coming out may be related to their personal well–being, sense of safety, and their connections to family, school and community.
  • 2018 Gender-expansive Youth Report: This report discusses the challenges and barriers facing transgender and gender-expansive youth around the country.
  • 2018 Supporting and Caring for Our Gender-expansive Youth: This report discusses the experiences teens whose gender identity and expression expand the conventional understanding of gender and is designed to provide adults with a better understanding of these youth to communicate more effectively and offer support.
  • New York Administration for Children’s Services, LGBTQ Affirming Foster and Adoptive Parents Needed, (nd). This document provides steps for foster parents to make their home environment affirming for LGBTQ youth.
  • All Children – All Families Report, Human Rights Campaign Foundation: This project promotes LGBTQ-inclusive policies and affirming practices among child welfare agencies. The report also features profiles of child welfare organizations that are setting the bar for LGBTQ inclusion, as well as profiles of the LGBTQ youth and clients they serve. Ramsey County of Minnesota is 1 of the 70 agencies profiled.
  • Explore: Adoption – Human Rights Campaign, the HRC offers a number of resources to LGBTQ people interested in adopting.
Youth of Color Specific
  • RECLAIM: Located in St. Paul, MN, RECLAIM offers individual, group and family therapy for queer and transgender youth and young adults ages 12-26 and their families. 80% of the youth served self-identify as transgender or gender nonconforming. They emphasize training practitioners to provide gender competent care. They also focus on the intersection of gender and race.
  • GLBTA Campus & Community Resources: A comprehensive list of various community groups, including communities of color, communities of faith, violence and prevention centers, and more. Minnesota Campus Alliance.
  • Supporting and Caring for our Latinx LGBT Youth. This report explores the experiences of nearly 2,000 LGBT youth who identify as Latinx
  • Walking in Two Worlds: Understanding the Historical and Intergenerational Trauma on the Two-Spirit/Native LGBTQ Community Webinar. This webinar discusses the historical roles and identities of Two-Spirit/Native LGBTQ people, how historical/intergenerational trauma has impacted this community, and the efforts to bring back balance, beauty, and acceptance.
  • Supporting Two Spirit/Native LGBTQ+ Youth Webinar. This webinar discusses how tribal communities welcome their Two-Spirit relatives back into their circles, what child welfare agencies can do to create a safe and welcoming environment, and how those who work with youth can protect and support the Two-Spirit/Native LGBTQ individuals in their care.
  • Working with Two-Spirit and Native LGBTQ Youth. This guide provides various resources and learning opportunities for supporting Two-Spirit and Native LGBTQ youth.

 

This page was developed in partnership with our colleagues Lindsey Weiler and Kaleb Burningham of the Family Social Science Department.