LGBTQIA+ Youth: Guiding the Work for Licensing Staff

Articulate the experiences of LGBTQIA+ and non-binary youth to guide caregivers and childcare providers to offer a welcoming, affirming environment as a vital part of child safety and wellbeing that supports DCYF’s values of inclusion, respect, integrity, compassion, and transparency.

Practice techniques to increase self-awareness of your own assumptions and values related to LGBTQIA+ and non-binary youth, in addition to your reactions during conversations that may challenge those values.

Identify approaches, strategies, and conversation-builders you can use to assess a caregiver’s or childcare provider’s capacity to offer a welcoming, affirming environment to LGBTQIA+ and non-binary youth in out of home care and childcare environments.

Demonstrate empathy, curiosity, and active listening skills with LGBTQIA+ and non-binary youth in out of home care and childcare environments, and accurately represent their lived experiences when engaging caregivers and childcare providers, elevating the youth as the expert.

Practice curiosity and engagement with caregivers and childcare providers while navigating conversations that might challenge the values held by all parties as it relates to LGBTQIA+ and non-binary youth and their need for safety and wellbeing in out of home care and childcare environments.