Promoting the Wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Youth and Their Families

Rollout of Data Collection on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Michigan’s Child Welfare Department, along with the Ruth Ellis Center, developed and implemented a pilot initiative to collect sexual orientation and gender identity data from the youth in their care. The pilot was called, “the Asking About SOGIE Pilot.” They worked with the National SOGIE Center to create a guide detailing the rollout of their efforts for others to replicate.

A new report, "Safe Havens: Closing the Gap Between Recommend Practice and Reality for Transgender and Gender-Expansive Youth in Out-of-Home Care," offers the first comprehensive analysis of the troubling lack of explicit laws and policies in most states to protect transgender, gender-expansive and gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth in the child welfare, juvenile justice, and runaway and homeless youth systems (“out-of-home care systems”). The report is co-authored by Lambda Legal, Children’s Rights and the Center for the Study of Social Policy.

Model Policy: Transgender, Gender Nonforming, and Intersex Youth in Confinement Facilities

The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) developed a model policy for confinement facilities that house transgender, gender nonconforming and intersex (TGNCI) youth – a population that experiences high rates of mistreatment and victimization in secure settings. NCLR and the Center for Children’s Law and Policy collaborated with a diverse group of youth justice stakeholders, including advocates for TGNCI youth, formerly incarcerated young people, facility personnel, and youth justice practitioners from across the country. Together, they produced critical guidance to youth justice agencies about how to meet the unique needs of these vulnerable youth, and to ensure their health and well-being while they are confined.

SOGIE Data Collection in Public Systems of Care: A Practice Guide for Santa Clara County

This guide provides background on the importance of SOGIE data collection and provides some important strategies for others to follow. The guide also provides lessons learned and recommendations for others collecting SOGIE data in public systems.

Michigan developed several methods for implementing SOGIE Data Collection for their state’s public child welfare system. This included changes to their data collection system, pilots of the new processes, focus groups with staff on experiences asking about SOGIE, and training to help staff build skills for asking about SOGIE. They have also made their training public as a resource for the field to adapt and use in their own SOGIE data collection efforts.

Allegheny County's report on their system-wide effort to normalize conversations about SOGIE and collect SOGIE among youth and youth adults in child welfare. The report, Moving a Child Welfare System to Be More Affirming of the LGBTQ+ Community: Strategies Challenges, and Lessons Learned, can be a helpful guide to child welfare agencies.

Cuyahoga County’s policy for collecting Safe ID, their method of safely disclosing SOGIE so that LGBTQ+ young people from ages 13-21 can receive specialized services. Please also visit their Collecting SOGIE Toolkit that has been developed to help staff implement the policy and understand how to collect SOGIE data in affirming and safe ways. This toolkit also has example forms that agencies might be able to use.