Supporting LGBTQ+ foster children

There may be a case during your foster care journey where you are fostering a child that is either already part of the LGBTQ+ community, or will come out to you during care.

At Beacon Fostering, we strive to help foster carers who look after children from all backgrounds, so here are some tips for being an ally towards your foster child who is LGBTQ+.

Creating a supportive environment

Keeping an open mind and ensuring that your foster child has your support is essential in ensuring they have a sense of security in their foster home.

Ensure that dialogue around their identity and feelings is welcomed, and listen to them so that they feel supported and validated. Learning about the definitions of terminology used is also essential in understanding the spectrum of sexuality and gender identity, and you can have resources around the house for exploring their identity independently.

Respecting their identity

For various LGBTQ+ people, their pronouns are a way of indicating their identity on the spectrum of gender. Their appearance and/or biological sex may not necessarily match their gender identity, so it helps to ask what pronouns they use.

Although it might not seem like a big deal, remembering and using the right pronouns for your foster child ensures that they and their identity are respected and validated.

Reunification with their family of origin

LGBTQ+ foster children and youth may face challenges in reuniting with their biological families if they do not accept their child’s sexuality or gender identity. However, your social workers, therapists and other professionals will work with you to decide what is best for the child and their wellbeing, which are of the utmost priority.