OCYA Special Report: LGBTQ2S+ Children and Youth

Speaking OUT: A Special Report on LGBTQ2S+ Young People in the Child Welfare and Youth Justice Systems –

released November 20, 2017.

LGBTQ2S+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Two-Spirited.

The information for this report was gathered through a combination of one-to-one interviews, focus groups, and online surveys. In total, over 280 young people and stakeholders participated in lending their voices to this report.

Based on what we heard, four themes emerged:

Identity
Safety
Appropriate places to live
Services and supports

with five recommendations arising from the report intended to improve the circumstances for LGBTQ2S+young people in government care.

Read the report “Speaking OUT: A Special Report on LGBTQ2S+ Young People in the Child Welfare and Youth Justice Systems”

Read the January 2019 addendum “Community Conversations on Speaking OUT: Ideas for Taking Action”

View the video:

The video features LGBTQ2S+ young people talking about their experiences in the child welfare and youth systems, as well as stakeholders sharing their experiences and knowledge. The video is short and definitely worth watching!

Last updated: November 20, 2017