This commentary is by a group of Vermont organizations. They are listed at the end of the commentary.
As organizations working with or on behalf of children and youth in Vermont, we wholeheartedly support the decision by The Vermont Department of Children and Families (DCF) to update Policy 76 to “prohibit licensed foster parents from discriminating against foster children based on sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as other personal characteristics.” When children come into state care, they require homes that are safe, supportive, and affirming. Foster homes that are not explicitly supportive of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Plus (LGBTQIA+) children and youth are not safe and therefore should not be licensed.
This lawsuit, filed at the start of Pride Month by a legal advocacy group opposed to marriage equality and LGBTQIA+ rights, reinforces a dangerous narrative that affirming LGBTQIA+ youth is optional for foster parents contracted by the state. The claim that DCF’s policy is discriminatory against Christians, or that homophobia is a principle of Christianity is inaccurate. The existence of this lawsuit, which undermines the safety and responsive care that all youth deserve and reinforces a dangerous climate for all LGBTQIA+ children during a time of escalating attacks, creates profound harm.
It is essential that we stand united against attempts to weaken or dismantle LGBTQIA+ rights and autonomy, and create a supportive framework for our engagement with youth as they name (or choose not to name) their identities.
The child welfare system reflects significant hardship for LGBTQIA+ youth, who represent 10-30% (or more) of youth under state care. A recent study indicated that 44% of LGBTQIA+ youth in state custody were removed, ran away, or were thrown out of their home for reasons directly related to their identity.
Requests for removal have been shown to occur with twice as much frequency for LGBTQIA+-identifying youth, as opposed to the number of requests for those who are not. The climate of oppression that LGBTQIA+ youth are forced to navigate is both empirically clear and pervasive, and necessitated the decisive action taken by the Department as a critical step toward responding to a much larger issue.
Vermont’s own 2021 youth risk behavior survey illustrated the implications of this climate on youth mental health outcomes. 42% of LGBTQIA + youth in middle school said they had experienced poor mental health (stress, anxiety and depression) compared to 22% in that age group overall. In high school, 59% of LGBTQ+ youth reported these experiences.
We have both the power and responsibility to do our part to change the story in Vermont. Supportive home environments can play an important role in uplifting trans or queer-identified youth. LGBTQIA+ young people who experience high levels of acceptance from their families are less likely to struggle with substance use, less likely to be depressed, three times less likely to attempt suicide, and report better overall health and higher self-esteem. Youth do best when their caregivers and parents show them that they are loved and accepted for who they are at every stage of their development.
The Vermont Human Rights Commission recently shared a powerful quote from Kristopher Sharp, an LQBTQIA+ identifying former foster youth from Texas, who spent eight years in foster care: “I was told that foster families didn’t want a gay kid in their home, so I grew up in group homes and residential centers where I was abused sexually, physically and emotionally.” It is critical that DCF listens and responds to those most impacted by their policy choices.
Our decision whether or not to affirm youth can literally be a matter of life and death. As organizations, we are collectively committed to supporting our agencies as they move toward ongoing improvements for LGBTQIA+ youth and other impacted communities in Vermont, and to supporting the ability of queer youth in our state to lead the joyful, fulfilling, empowered lives they deserve.
American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter
Education Justice Coalition of Vermont
Gedakina
KidSafe Collaborative
King Street Center
Migrant Justice/Justicia Migrante Vermont
Mosaic Vermont
Outright Vermont
Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund
Prevent Child Abuse Vermont
Richard Kemp Center
Spectrum Youth & Family Services
The Root Social Justice Center
Vermont Academy of Family Physicians
Vermont Afterschool
Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services
Vermont Citizens Advisory Board to DCF
Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network
Voices for Vermont’s Children
Youth Development Program & Elevate Youth Services
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont organizations: DCF was right to update policy to prohibit discrimination against queer youth.