LGBT adoption and foster made possible

The adoption of children by LGBT’s has always been an active debate. Opposition to parenting of LGBT couples or individuals is inadequately addressed in most states’ constitutions and statutes, often leaving decisions on LGBT parenting to be decided in court.

A California case challenging Prop 8, Perry v. Schwarzenegger, has multiple references and citations showing scientific, consistent research that gay and lesbian couples have proven to be fit parents, and children raised by LGBT parents show no negative psychological effects. Mental health professionals in three countries have done empirical research proving this fact.

Regardless of these facts, considering adoption or fostering is still a challenge in this region. Where do you go? How do you fill out the paperwork? Do you tell anyone you are a same-sex couple?

Access to Counselling in Oklahoma City is your answer.

“We just want loving parents who would love these kids,” said Brett Wheeeler, COO of Access to Counseling, an organization looking for LGBT foster parents and adoptive parents. “We don’t care what their sexual orientation is, as long as it is a healthy home.”

Access to Counseling Services' mission is to provide community-based programs that enable people to meet the challenges of life through counseling, support, and follow-up.

“All the support and care for the children is provided. Sometimes the kids only come with a trash bag…but no child will ever leave here with a just trash bag.

“Our role in this is the home development. We need to develop unique homes with families who are open to help kids who appear angry and sullen, we need families that are open to foster LGBT kids who need help with identity issues. Even the kids who identify early as LGBT, don’t need to be told they won’t be a fit for a foster or to be told, ‘You’re a better fit for a group home, because of your lifestyle choice.’”

Wheeler continued saying they want to develop homes for non-traditional kids and kids that are just hard to place. They have a unique approach to placing kids in a good environment.

“All the support and care for the children is provided,” adds Wheeler. “Everything we do is free for the families. Family therapy, individual therapy (paid by the state) – additionally, there is case management nutritional support, emotional support and we go to court with them.”

Wheeler is passionate about LGBT kids in need of being placed in foster or permanent homes.

“We make those placements. We can place LGBT kids in LGBT homes. That is based on our being able to see the need in those kids being shuffled around and being able to place them…and we know they don’t need to be forced to go to church to be fixed.”

“We specialize in children from 0-3, 0-8 is our overall specialty and with all of our contractors we can go up to age 18,” said Jennifer Abney, Executive Director of Angels Foster Family Network who has chosen Access to partner with. “We need so many homes for kids.”

Abney stressed that it does not matter if you are gay or lesbian…they just need the right fit. The kids need love. DHS is working with partnering agencies to ‘get the kids out of the system,’ stressing that there are many efforts to change the current, broken system.

“DHS sees the need for good foster family support. They can maintain 33 percent of the families that come their way. We maintain 97 percent of the families that come through our care.”

That’s an impressive number.

“Children who have been in the system are qualified for paid college subsidy. They have to stay in school continuously in order to keep the support, but the state will pay for room, board and tuition. There are some educational requirements of the child in high school.

Sadly, very few children ever use this subsidy.

Wheeler said in conclusion, “We are a gay-owned business, we have many LGBT staff and we know what the kids need based on the insight we have from some of our own similar experiences. We understand what it’s like to be bullied or harassed.”

It takes about 40 hours of your time in prep work over about 90 days to see if you qualify to foster or possibly may adopt through this program. Should you foster a child, your day in court is usually once a month and your total time involvement depends on where the child is. Any child care is paid for.

For information about services or to make an appointment, call (405) 242-2242 or visit www.access2counseling.com.

by Robin Dorner, Editor in Chief

The Gayly – June 3, 2014 @ 12:30pm