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We are pleased to share our second bimonthly newsletter, the DX Learning Corner. (If you missed our first newsletter, check it out here!)
The DX Learning Corner offers the child welfare field information on Division X Technical Assistance (TA), including notable events on areas of interest as well as hot topics, experiences of our consultants and Regional Office members who are currently partnering together to support states, tribes, and territories in better serving youth and young adults in and transitioning from foster care, and so much more!
Division X TA Webpage Up and Running!
We are excited to announce the launch of the Division X TA webpage on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website. The page provides an overview of the Division X TA offered through the end of September 2022.
Be sure to bookmark the webpage and check back frequently for resources and tools that identify best practices based on lessons learned from Division X TA implementation and youth engagement efforts.
Spread the Word
Explore the Spread the Word tools section of our website for ways to share information about Division X TA and provide youth and young adults in and transitioning out of foster care with critical program and resources.
You will also find a flier to be shared with youth-serving people and organizations such as school counselors, colleges, and community groups. The flier will help direct these important community members to our webpage, where they can stay updated on available Division X TA resources and tools and learn more about agencies’ success and lessons learned in supporting youth and young adults currently and in and transitioning from foster care. You can also use the sample email signature to engage your contacts and point them toward more information.
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Hot Topic – Supporting LGBTQIA2S+ Foster Youth
Each newsletter will feature a hot topic, and since June is Pride Month, the Division X TA Team is excited to lift up information and resources in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/ questioning, intersex, asexual, and two-spirited youth and other non-heterosexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQIA2S+). Pride Month is a great time to learn more about this community and the tools and resources to best support LGBTQIA2S+ children, youth, and families!
In March 2022, the Children Bureau released IM-22-01 that provides guidance to title IV-B and IV-E agencies when serving LGBTQI+ children and youth who are involved with the child welfare system. It also encourages agencies to consider the many provisions in titles IV-B and IV-E of the Act that agencies can use to help guide their work with families at risk, and when creating case plans for LGBTQI+ children and youth in care. Here are some key takeaways:
- Evidence is clear that LGBTQI+ children and youth in foster care are most likely to thrive in safe, affirming environments without risk of physical or emotional harm on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and regardless of the type of placement in which the child lives.
- The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recognizes that several existing federal laws, including title IV-B and title IV-E and their implementing regulations, are intended to ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth in foster care, including the LGBTQI+ children and youth that child welfare agencies serve.
Since the release of IM-22-01, as noted by Associate Commissioner Aysha E. Schomburg, Esq., ACF’s commitment includes, standing “strongly in support of providing affirming medical care to LGBTQI+ children and youth, including those who are transgender, gender nonconforming, and those to whom such care is denied. The Children's Bureau is clear that providing such care is necessary, important, is in children and youth's best interests, and is not abusive. We are working to ensure that every child and youth who is or has been involved with the child welfare system is affirmed and supported, including children and youth who are LGBTQI+ or who have a non-conforming gender identity.” For more information on ACFs commitments, visit “A Message in Support of LGBTQI+ Children and Youth Who Are Involved with the Child Welfare System.”
The Trevor Project released an additional resource, their 2022 Annual National Survey of LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults. In it they note:
- Eighty-two percent of youth reported wanting mental healthcare
- Sixty percent of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental healthcare in the past year were not able to access it
- LGBTQ youth are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but rather they are placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society
- Some things that brought joy to these youth were gender-affirming clothing, accepting and affirming friends, learning about LGBTQ history, art, and expression, and knowing happy LGBTQ elders
Supporting LGBTQIA2S+ children, youth, and young adults is key to meeting the mental health and wellness needs of this population of youth in or formerly in child welfare to help them thrive into their adulthood. For additional information and resources visit the National Center for Youth With Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, & Expression (The National SOGIE Center) to learn more!
Division X TA Mental Health Tip Sheet
Last month’s hot topic was mental health―an issue that affects many young people―and child welfare professionals are in a position to help. This May, during Mental Health Awareness Month, take some time to consider how to improve the way you reach out to youth about mental health and wellness services with a new tip sheet designed to support state, county, tribal, and private child welfare programs.
Read the Tip Sheet on Responding to Youth and Young Adult Mental Health Needs to learn how child welfare professionals can adopt a healing-centered approach and help alleviate the systemic and cultural barriers facing young people who try to access mental health support services.
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Update on Targeted Assistance Projects!
On March 15, the Division X TA Team launched targeted assistance projects (TAPs) to help public child welfare agencies build capacity and make sustainable improvements to policies and practices for youth and young adults in and transitioning from foster care.
The Division X TA Team is holding exploratory conversations with jurisdictions who apply for TAPs and will delve deeper into strategies for the remainder of the fiscal year. Strategies include exploring the Division X fellowship role, a summer role for young people in a state selected for TAPs, to support the work on the ground by partnering on the rapid assessment, work planning, and strategies for moving forward during the 3.5-month implementation.
The final deadline to apply for TAPs has passed. If interested in learning more about TAPs, the Division X fellowship, or other services available please reach out to DivisionXTA@icf.com for an application or for more information.
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