Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Therapeutic Foster Care

Foster Care for LGBTQ+ Adolescents and Teenagers

Serving LGBTQ+ Adolescents and Teenagers

Every Young Person Deserves a Safe, Supportive Home

Young people in foster care need caregivers who will welcome them, respect who they are and provide the stability and support they need to heal and grow. Through Alexander Youth Network’s Therapeutic Foster Care program, children and adolescents are matched with trained foster parents based on each child’s individual needs and the family’s ability to provide an appropriate, supportive home. As part of that process, our team works to understand which foster parents are open to caring for LGBTQ+ youth so we can make thoughtful matches where young people feel safe, accepted and supported.

What Therapeutic Foster Parents Provide

Therapeutic foster parents provide a structured, family-based environment for children who need additional support. They work in partnership with Alexander’s treatment professionals, families and other members of a child’s care team to:

Provide a safe, stable and nurturing home.

Support each child’s individualized treatment goals.

Welcome young people with varied identities, backgrounds and experiences.
Listen with empathy and respond without judgment.
Help children develop the skills and stability needed to move toward a permanent home.

Support for Foster Parents

Alexander provides foster parents with Pressley Ridge training, guidance and ongoing support throughout the licensing and placement process. This includes:

Assistance with North Carolina licensure.
Support from an Alexander treatment coach.
Preparation and transition support before placement.
Ongoing consultation and crisis support.
Peer support and networking opportunities.

You do not have to have all the answers before beginning. Our team will help prepare and support you as you care for a young person whose identity, background or experiences may differ from your own.

Become a Therapeutic Foster Parent

We need foster parents who are open, patient and committed to helping young people feel safe and supported. If you are ready to provide a stable home where a child can heal, grow and be treated with dignity, we invite you to learn more.

Statistics About LGBTQ+ Youth in Foster Care

4 percent of youth in foster care identify as LGBTQ+ and 5 percent as transgender, compared to 11.2 percent and 1.17 percent of youth not in foster care.
LGBTQ+ youth turn to the streets to flee harmful home environments, 56 percent chose to live on the street, rather than in a foster care placement because they felt safer there.
Homeless LGBTQ+ youth are at greater risk; LGBTQ+ homeless youth are roughly 7.4 times more likely to suffer acts of sexual violence than heterosexual homeless youth.

LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapeutic Foster Care Program

Counties We Serve:

Alamance, Alexander, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cumberland, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Hamlet, Hoke, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rutherford, Scotland, Union, Wilkes

Treatment:

Temporary, affirming in-home environment for LGBTQ+ children and teenagers

Ages:

Primarily 10-15 years old

Length of Stay:

An average of 6-9 months

Contact:

All TFC referrals must go through the appropriate Managed Care Organization (MCO). For questions about the TFC referral process, please email fostercare@aynkids.org.

If you’re interested in being an LGBTQ+ affirming foster parent, click here to begin the process today.