Q&A
Disclosure of youth's LGBTQ+ identity to foster parents and placement policies
0:38:45
·
118 sec
Commissioner Dannhauser explains the policies regarding disclosure of a youth's LGBTQ+ identity to foster parents and the placement decision process.
- If a young person has shared their LGBTQ+ identity with a case planner or child protective specialist, it would be shared with foster parents
- Foster parents are allowed to decline a placement, but this triggers an assessment of the home
- ACS expects all foster homes to be affirming, as per a policy implemented in 2015
- If a foster parent declines a placement due to a youth's LGBTQ+ status, it may lead to closing that foster home
- Agencies are responsible for ongoing assessments of all foster homes
Althea V. Stevens
0:38:45
And make sure that we're also recruiting in that community as well because they make great parents as well.
0:38:51
Absolutely.
0:38:53
Our foster parents, our families informed of a foster youth if they identify as LGBTQ youth and do your current policy allow for them to decline a placement?
Jess Dannhauser
0:39:06
So if the young person has shared that with the case planner or the child protective specialist, it absolutely would be shared with the foster parents.
0:39:14
So There are many times when they have not, but that's not something that they feel comfortable disclosing yet or having the conversation about.
0:39:25
We will certainly, if someone declines a placement, We will allow them to go decline that placement because we don't wanna put a child into a place that they're not gonna be affirmed.
0:39:35
But you cannot be affirmed in New York City unless you're farming, and so we move to assess that home and often to close that home if that ends up being the case.
Althea V. Stevens
0:39:45
So if you decline a young person because of whatever, you're like, okay.
0:39:50
So you're done.
Jess Dannhauser
0:39:52
Specifically related to that status, if they are declining it, we ask the agencies to do an assessment because our expectation, they've they've pledged that they are going to be an affirming home.
0:40:04
This is something that commissioner Carrieann put into place In 2015, I believe that all foster parents were expected to be affirming, and so we follow that policy.
Althea V. Stevens
0:40:16
Mhmm.
Jess Dannhauser
0:40:19
It's often not entirely clear.
0:40:21
If they decline a placement, right, it could be they are concerned about a particular behavior.
0:40:26
So I'm not saying that, you know, they will say I'm declining it because of a young person's gender expression, but we want to be very careful agencies are responsible for ongoing assessments of all of their foster homes.
Althea V. Stevens
0:40:40
No.
0:40:40
Absolutely.
0:40:41
I think that's what's the most important.
0:40:43
Yep.
