A Red Deer agency may be the first to develop a group living space specifically for LGBTQ2S+ children and youth in community care.
The Haven program with Heritage Family Services should be open in a few weeks to provide a supportive living option for three LGBTQ2S+ young people.
“Given that this is the only one in Alberta, we really expect it to fill up. We’ll need to open up another one. We’re not looking at what that’s going to look like yet, but we know that will probably happen in 2018,” said Shay Vanderschaeghe, program co-ordinator for Haven.
On Monday the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate released Speaking Out: A Special Report on LGBTQ2S+ Young People in the Child Welfare and Youth Justice Systems, with five recommendations, including the need for supportive living options for LGBTQ2S+ children and youth in foster care, group homes, custody centres and homeless shelters in Alberta.
Vanderschaeghe said Heritage Family Services has seen the need.
“We’ve had transgender youth. We didn’t have a space in Alberta that was anything better than just accepting of their diversity. We were really looking for places and spaces where this kid would be celebrated in the fact that they are gender diverse or sexually diverse.”
She said Heritage decided that if nobody was going to provide the living option needed that they should do it.
Lucas Gagnon, media spokesperson with Trans and Non-Binary Aid Society, said having organizations that explicitly support the transgender population makes a world of difference.
“To hear organizations say I am trans-accepting. I am trans-affirming. We accept trans people, trans children. We want to help. That speaks volumes to me,” Gagnon said.
“There are organizations that say they support everybody, and they mean well, but transgender people aren’t even on their radar.”
Tonight the Trans and Non-Binary Aid Society is hosting Red Deer’s Transgender Day of Remembrance at Pioneer Lodge, 4324 46A Ave. Doors open at 6:30 p.m and the memorial service starts at 7 p.m.
Other recommendations in the report included LGBTQ2S+ training and education for child welfare and justice staff; guidelines and policy when it comes to safety, living options, identity, services and supports for LGBTQ2S+ children and youth in the justice and child welfare systems; policy for guardian consent for medical interventions and support services for transgender young people in the child welfare system; and ensuring young people receive appropriate and inclusive sexual health information.
Vanderschaeghe fully supported each recommendation.
“It’s possible we’re the only ones who may have good conversations with them around sexual health, consent, around healthy relationships, and there’s a whole recommendation that speaks to that so I’m excited about that.”
She said Heritage also started its LGBTQ2S+ training for its staff in September.
“We actually hope to have all 120 staff through that before Christmas.”
The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate is an independent office of the Legislature representing the rights, interests and viewpoints of children and young people receiving designated government services.
“LGBTQ2S+ youth still experience higher levels of homelessness, suicide, mental illness, addictions, and violence. We can do more, and we should do more,” said Del Graff, Provincial Child and Youth Advocate, in a press release.
“I sincerely hope that the recommendations from this report will be quickly acted on to ensure that government ministries implement changes that improves the circumstances for LGBTQ2S+ young people in government care.”
The report and its recommendations are available at ocya.alberta.ca/adult/publications/ocya-reports/.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter