The Opening Doors Project: As a judge, lawyer or other child welfare professional do you understand the risk factors common to LGBTQ youth? These include high suicide rates, substance abuse, health issues, and harassment in foster care and in school. Do you know how a youth’s LGBTQ status affects permanency (including reunification, adoption, guardianship, or placement with a fit and willing relative)?

The Opening Doors Project aims to:

• Increase the legal community’s awareness of LGBTQ youth in foster care and the unique issues they face, and
• Provide the legal community with advocacy tools to successfully represent these youth

Approach:

During this three year project, staff of the ABA Center on Children and the Law will research and develop a resource manual and provide training and technical assistance on issues related to LGBTQ youth in foster care.

Contact Us

American Bar Association

Center on Children and the Law

740 15th Street, N.W.

Washington,D.C. 20005-2019

Phone: (202) 662-1720 Fax: (202) 662-1755

Please direct inquiries to Mimi Laver or Andrea Khoury