LOS ANGELES – Nearly 20 percent of foster youth in Los Angeles County identify as LGBTQ, a statistic that prompted the Board of Supervisors Tuesday to look for ways to improve services for LGBTQ youth in the county’s care.
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl championed the motion, which was co-authored by Supervisor Hilda Solis.
LGBTQ youth end up in the foster care system for many of the same reasons as their non-LGBTQ peers — abuse, neglect, parental drug and alcohol abuse — but many also experience rejection and mistreatment because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
“Often these children have been doubly disadvantaged by bigotry and ignorance as well as neglect and abuse,” Kuehl said. “This motion lays the groundwork for the county to better provide for their needs, including tailored services delivered by well-trained and culturally competent staff, and identification of supportive, affirming caretakers.”
The board asked five departments working with foster youth to inventory and assess existing services for this population and make recommendations for new treatment models and improved training. A report is expected back in 90 days.
Solis said things were getting better for these kids, but more needed to be done.
“While we have made some deeply positive gains in achieving equality for LGBTQ people, LGBTQ youth — especially those in the child welfare or probation systems — still face discrimination, bullying, violence, and ignorance from people in their lives.”
These children have historically been harder to place than non-LGBTQ children, said Dr. Khush Cooper, who lectures on youth public policy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
“LBGTQ youth spend twice as much time in foster care as their non-LGBTQ counterparts,” Cooper said. “And they age out on their own at age 18. Aging out of foster care (is) associated with higher rates of homelessness, incarceration and unemployment. And you add stigma and rejection to that and the outcomes get exponentially worse.”
Julie McCormack of the Children’s Law Center of California said there was only one group home placement for LGBTQ youth countywide.
“I and my colleagues have seen firsthand the gaps in training, services, funding, recruitment and placement for the LGBTQ youth we represent, especially for our clients who are also transgender or victims of commercial sex trafficking,” McCormack told the board.
Several advocates urged the board to include young voices in the dialogue around training and programming.
“Young people identified three priorities. The first, stable housing. The second, youth justice, investment in youth development as opposed to incarceration. And third, high-quality mental health services,” said Jenny Delwood, executive vice president of the Liberty Hill Foundation, citing surveys conducted by the foundation’s youth leadership program.
Kuehl pledged that LGBTQ youth would be included in decision-making and then related her own experience.
“It’s very isolating. A lot of us were runaways. Many more were throwaways. And all of these kind of depressing statistics about the higher numbers of everything that our young people experience have to also be mentioned in the context of our resiliency, of our love. I mean, this whole minority, frankly, is about love.”
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Vic says
Maybe Rex can lend a hand here. He’s trying to bring Asians and ‘The Gays’ to the BLVD to lower crime and raise education levels. More resources will help.
Heaven knows the BLVD can use all the help it can get. Bex is the latest casualty. Ron Smith used to brag how Bex would crush BJs. BJs is still going strong and Bex is a memory and one of many failed businesses on the BLVD.
on topic says
To Vic; This is about youth in the foster care system, and has nothing to do with Rex Parris and the BLVD.
Vic says
Rex can help LGBTQ youth in foster care. He stated that he wants to bring Asians and ‘The Gays’ as he calls them to the BLVD to raise educational levels and lower crime. His words, not mine. Maybe he could help with housing and job opportunities instead of continuing to help his contributors.
on topic says
Rex Parris’ comments are full of stereotypes. He doesn’t get it, so no thank you to Rex Parris.
Vic says
Stereotypes or flat out racism and prejudice? That’s not the first time Rex has made questionable statements like that. He got in a lot of trouble for sending out hit mailers calling a black candidate a ‘gang candidate’. He has supported people and positions that were Islamaphobic.
Make no mistake, he has a history.
Sarah says
I’m all for this. More resources for the LGBTQ community are a necessity including the homeless. They/we need to feel safe here where we live.