sábado, enero 19, 2008

The Sign

2 comentarios:

bint alshamsa dijo...

Wow! What organization made that sign? I can understand how it might be difficult to find adoptive parents for LGBTQ kids because of the rampant homophobia in this country but I hadn't even considered that this might be a problem with foster homes too.

By the way, my e-mail address is:
bintalshamsa@yahoo.com

It should work but if you don't hear from me after sending an e-mail, then please let me know on my blog.

Thank you for the concern about my weight. It means so very much, chica!

Ktrion dijo...

Family Builders is the name of the Bay Area organization. They do some really great ads featuring gay couples and single parents and other nontraditional families.

Apparently, since the signs have gone up, they've been overwhelmed by calls from other agencies wanting help placing their LGBTQ kids.

These statistics (posted at Family Builders) are pretty sobering:

*There are thousands of children and youth in the nine Bay Area Counties who are in foster care. Nearly half are in Alameda and San Francisco Counties.


*LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in the foster care system, and are more likely than other foster youth to be placed in group homes and other congregate care facilities.

*An overwhelming majority of LGBTQ youth report they were victims of violence, and all have been victims of verbal abuse, based on their sexual orientation or gender identity while in group care.

*LGBTQ youth may be more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, and are at a higher risk for substance abuse.

*Between 25% and 40% of homeless and runaway youth identify as LGBTQ.

*We need everybody—gay or straight—to step up to provide safe and stable care in an accepting and welcoming family environment for our LGBTQ youth.