Sacramento County CPS Recruiting Foster Parents For LGBTQ Children, Teens
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Every foster child deserves a home where they are nurtured, but children who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning say it's tricky for them.
Child Protective Services is recruiting people specifically to care for LGBTQ children.
Dana McBride, 21, was in and out of foster care growing up. Now he works with foster kids in similar situations.
"Pretty much helping a youth who may have been going through something I was going through, or going through something I didn't go through; I can just kind of empathize with them," he said.
He identifies as gay, and says that compounded woes growing up in foster homes.
"I'm very proud of myself here, but then you move somewhere else and they may not be so supportive," he said. "And then it's just like you're questioning yourself like, 'Is it OK? Is it safe for me to be who I am here? Should I say I'm straight? Should i? Is it easier to be bi here?"
Karen Parks is on a Sacramento County CPS task force to address that very issue. CPS estimates it could have upwards of 280 LGBTQ foster kids currently in the system.
"Statistics will tell you that about 78 percent of these kids will either be removed or will run away because of abuse or neglect or just emotional harm while in placement," she said.
The task force is recruiting foster parents specifically for those children. Candidates can be LGBTQ or not, but they must be supportive of kids who identify as LGBTQ.
"It's the difference of them being able to go to a loving, nurturing home or being retraumatized," she said. "So, to me that's huge, so we need the community to step up."
Foster parents who are interested can go to an event on Wednesday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at 3 Fold Communications at 2031 K Street.
If you can't make it to the event, and want to be a foster parent for an LGBTQ youth, you can contact Karen Parker: 916-875-1264, parkek@saccounty.net