Family Recruitment, Retention & Specialized Youth Recruitment: GLBT&Q SAFE program

Since October 2000 Families Like Ours has assisted hundreds of GLBT&Q youth and families in the Pacific Northwest as well as nationally. FLO’s ongoing recruitment, retention and education of families and professionals is well established. Working closely with professional teams, Families Like Ours has become an instrumental resource for caseworkers and agencies in providing the specialized services these youth and families require. This experience and the critical need to support these youth and families has led to the SAFE program first introduced in King County, Washington (Region Four). As a national adoption exchange, Families Like Ours continues to support the needs of GLBT&Q adoptive families throughout the United States. Families Like Ours (FLO)—GLBT&Q: SAFE program Program Fact Sheet Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered & Questioning Youth: Supportive Adoption & Foster Education is a community partnership designed to provide support and education assistance in the permanency planning for GLBT&Q foster youth, families, and professional teams including agencies and placement workers. The SAFE program community partners are committed to working with FLO to provide support and education assistance in the permanency planning for:

• GLBT&Q foster youth
• Families providing support for these youth
• Adoptive and foster families
• Professional teams working with GLBTQ youth and families

Why is this program needed? GLBT&Q youth and the families that support these youth require specialized support services from caseworkers and agencies.

• Emergency placement for a newly identified GLBT&Q youth
• Placement support in identifying a willing family to take a GLBT&Q youth
• A frontline resource for professional teams working with GLBT&Q youth and families
• Pre and post placement support network and mentoring for GLBTQ youth & families

Families Like Ours experience with GLBT&Q youth and families Since October 2000 FLO has assisted hundreds of GLBT&Q youth and families in the Pacific Northwest as well as nationally. FLO’s ongoing recruitment, retention and education of families and professionals is well established. Working closely with professional teams, FLO has become an instrumental resource for caseworkers and agencies in providing the specialized services these youth and families require. This experience and the critical need to support these youth and families has lead to the SAFE program first introduced in King County, Washington (Region Four). As a national adoption exchange, FLO continues to support the needs of GLBT&Q adoptive families throughout the United States. For more information, contact Families Like Ours at 1-877-230-3055.