The head of the Federal Administration for Children and Families (Adam Alex), is attacking LGBTQ+ Foster Families over youth gender identity. Life is hard enough for foster families and the struggling LGBTQ+ children trying to rebuild lives filled with abuse and neglect in their birth homes and a growing sense of unwelcome in our communities.
These Federal policies are demonizing queer children and creating
hatred and legitimizing fear and violence
against almost ten percent of Americans.(Gallup Poll)
Finding safe and affirming foster and adoptive homes for LGBTQ+ children in child protective services remains a major, well-documented problem in the U.S. today. Few if any states have ever had enough quality foster or adoptive homes to care for traumatized children removed from their homes because their lives are being endangered. The politics at play here are making it more miserable for foster families and far more confusing and anxiety ridden for LGBTQ+ children. This policy will make it even harder to find safe and caring foster and adoptive homes for these children to live in.
One in three fosters identify as LGBTQ+
These youth already suffer
the highest depression and suicide rates in America
Imagine if you had been born a queer child living in birth home suffering years physical and mental abuse severe enough to be removed from that home by a judge? What’s it like for a frightened child waking up in a new home with an accepting foster family that now has a Federal Government order to refuse this child to identify as they know themselves to be?
Politicizing the most vulnerable children in America to feed a political base is a deliberately cruel way of making public policy.
A recent Trevor Project study found that the percentage of LGBTQ+ youth reporting suicidal ideation grew from 41% in 2023 to 47% in 2025 (LA Times, Oct 2025). Anxiety and depression rates also rose sharply in this population over the same span.
Transgender and nonbinary youth experienced even higher increases in both suicidal thoughts and mental distress, nearly doubling compared to cisgender peers (Trevor Project, Oct 2025). These increases occurred as the federal government eliminated the specialized LGBTQ+ suicide lifeline (“Press 3” on the 988 service) and implemented policies restricting access to gender-affirming care, health equity programs, and inclusive school environments (KFF, Aug 2025; StatNews, Jul 2025).
Experts widely agree these policy changes—increasing institutional discrimination and reducing access to affirming support—directly harm LGBTQ+ mental health at the population level (AFSP, Jun 2025; Health Policy Ohio, Jul 2025). State-level research supports this: suicide attempt rates among LGBTQ youth are 18% lower in states with explicit inclusive policies and protections, showing that policy environment has a measurable impact (Cincinnati Children’s, Apr 2024).
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Author’s note, As a longtime CASA Guardian ad Litem in Child Protection Services, it became clear to me that LGBTQ+ people having lived experience of rejection and discrimination have provided them the skills and understanding that make them ideal foster and adoptive parents for these very vulnerable children.
Finding safe and affirming foster and adoptive homes for LGBTQ+ children in child protective services remains a major, well-documented problem in the U.S. today. Key facts and research findings include:
Overrepresentation and Placement Instability
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LGBTQ+ youth are significantly overrepresented in foster care (by some estimates, 30–34% of foster youth identify as LGBTQ+ or Two-Spirit, compared to ~9% of the general youth population) (Every Child Deserves a Family).
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They experience double the rate of mistreatment, placement instability, and group home placements compared to non-LGBTQ+ peers and are more often placed in restrictive and non-family settings (Yale Law, 2025).
Discrimination, Harassment, and Safety Risks
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LGBTQ+ foster children are four times more likely to be kicked out, abandoned, or run away from placements due to mistreatment (Kidsave, 2025).
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They frequently face bias, harassment, and lack of understanding from both foster parents and group care staff, which contributes to emotional distress and negative outcomes (Michigan Bar Journal, 2024).
Legal and Structural Barriers
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In some states, laws or agency practices allow discrimination by agencies against LGBTQ+ foster/adoptive parents, which further restricts the available pool of affirming homes (Movement Advancement Project, 2024).
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As a result, LGBTQ+ youth are less likely to find stable, permanent families and more likely to age out of care without adoption. Policies that bar or fail to affirm same-sex and LGBTQ+ parents shrink the pool of qualified homes and keep children in foster care longer (Every Child Deserves a Family).
Health and Mental Health Impacts
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LGBTQ+ youth in foster care have substantially higher rates of suicide attempts, homelessness, hospitalization, and trafficking than their non-LGBTQ+ peers (Kidsave, 2025; Every Child Deserves a Family).
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Supportive, affirming placements dramatically improve outcomes but are in short supply due to both formal and informal exclusion (Families Rising, 2024).
Solutions and Recommendations
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Non-discrimination policies, active recruitment of LGBTQ+ foster/adoptive parents, matching LGBTQ+ youth with affirming homes, and specialized support/training for caregivers are identified as best practices (GWK Academy, 2025).
In summary:
Systemic barriers and ongoing discrimination mean that LGBTQ+ youth in child protective systems face exceptional difficulty in finding safe, stable, and affirming foster or adoptive homes, leading to poor outcomes and increased risk—a situation exacerbated by discriminatory agency policies or lack of affirming caregiver training (Kidsave, 2025; Every Child Deserves a Family).
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This article submitted by former CASA volunteer Mike Tikkanen
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