Lund’s adoption program has once again been recognized for providing inclusive child welfare services for LGBTQ youth and families. The program was awarded the ‘Innovator’ seal by the Human Rights Campaign’s All Children All Families (ACAF) project. The Innovator level – the highest tier of recognition – is new this year. For the past six years, the agency has received the All Children All Families seal.
The seal is given to agencies who are pushing themselves beyond the solid foundation of inclusive and competent practices they have built to implement innovative approaches to LGBTQ inclusion in key areas such as non-discrimination, staff training, parent best practices, youth best practices, and leadership. To achieve this seal agencies must also look outside their own policies and practices and demonstrate leadership in areas like policy advocacy or organizational partnerships
Since 2012, Lund has been one of hundreds of child welfare agencies across the U.S. using ACAF’s resources to enhance their efforts to achieve safety, permanency and well-being for LGBTQ youth and families.
“Lund shares the All Children All Families Project’s mission to welcome and embrace everyone who wishes to grow, or start, their families through adoption,” says Heather Simmons, Associate Director of Adoption at Lund. “We will continue to find new ways to engage the LGBTQ community to ensure they feel welcomed and included by our programs. This year we are honored to have received the Innovator seal and are ready to continue the essential work of finding forever families for all children.”
This work could not be more important. LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in foster care nationwide and face increased risk of both negative experiences and outcomes. According to the recently released ‘Celebrating Everyday Change-Makers in Child Welfare’ report from the Human Rights Commission:
- • Up to 30% of youth in foster care are LGBTQ;
- • LGBTQ youth are twice as likely to report being treated poorly as their non-LGBTQ peers while in care;
- • LGBTQ youth have a greater average number of placements than their non-LGBTQ peers;
- • LGBTQ youth are more likely than their non-LGBTQ peers to be placed in congregate care, including group homes.
Lund is very proud of the important work that the adoption program does to find forever families for every child with sensitive, affirming, and compassionate policies and practices.
