All Children - All Families: About the Project

Filed under: Adoption, Parenting

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HRC's All Children – All Families project promotes LGBTQ cultural competency among child welfare agencies through innovative resources, including an online agency self-assessment tool, comprehensive staff training, free technical assistance and more. Agencies across the country recognize the importance of this work and use ACAF resources to improve practice with LGBTQ youth and families.

What is All Children - All Families?

All Children – All Families, a project of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, provides a framework for agencies to achieve safety, permanency and well-being by improving their practice with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth and families. Participating agencies work to meet ten key Benchmarks of LGBTQ Cultural Competency – from client non-discrimination policies and inclusive agency paperwork, to staff training and creating an LGBTQ-inclusive agency environment. Once these benchmarks are met, the agency is designated a “Leader in Supporting and Serving LGBTQ Youth and Families” and awarded the All Children – All Families Seal of Recognition. This seal can be used to enhance an agency’s outreach and recruitment within the LGBTQ community.

Why All Children - All Families?

A disproportionately high number of LGBTQ youth are in foster care, many having been abandoned by their families due to their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. These youth continue to struggle as they enter the child welfare system, where agency staff members often lack the skills and knowledge to provide them with the services they need and deserve.

An estimated 2 million LGBTQ adults are interested in adoption in the U.S. But, the LGBTQ community is often an untapped resource when it comes to finding families for children and youth in foster care. Agencies can significantly increase their pool of prospective foster and adoptive parents by ensuring they have the policies and practices in place to welcome and support LGBTQ resource families and recruit effectively for these families.

Participating in All Children - All Families

The All Children - All Families participation process is outlined here. Agency staff work with All Children - All Families staff members and expert advisers to evaluate and update their policies as needed, working toward ten Benchmarks of LGBTQ Cultural Competency. When an agency achieves each of the benchmarks, it is designated a "Leader in Supporting and Serving LGBTQ Youth and Families" and awarded the All Children - All Families Seal of Recognition. This seal can be used in the agency's outreach and recruitment efforts to send a clear, welcoming message to LGBTQ clients.

All Children - All Families Resources

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