• Foster Care Program and Support Services
• Fostering with Care
• How to Become a Foster Parent
• Foster Care Programs and Locations
• Foster parent requirements
• Apply to become a foster parent

Devereux’s Promise: Supporting Diversity in the Foster Care System

The more than 400,000 children in the U.S. foster system come from diverse backgrounds. Despite many differences, they are bound together by a shared need for supportive, structured care from a trusted, loving adult.

Providing this fundamental care is unbound by the race, religion, nation of origin, gender identity, sexuality or family composition of those who step up to provide care. To be foster parent is to intervene in the life of an individual in the greatest time of need. It’s a selfless act of love and care, and Devereux is proud of our longtime commitment to promoting diversity within the foster care system.

Devereux’s foster care approach actively seeks a diverse pool of foster parents and care providers who reflect the diverse children we support. Devereux believes that loving, supportive foster families do not need to fit a certain mold. We welcome single, married, partnered or cohabitating individuals, including those from the LGBTQ+ community, to become foster parents. What matters most is the ability and willingness to provide unconditional care, love and guidance to an individual in need.

A Network of Support for Parents and Children

Our legacy of welcoming foster parents from every walk of life is far from the only way we support diversity in the foster care system. For years, we have been proud to serve and celebrate the diversity of the children in our foster system. It’s part of our mission to promote a culture of acceptance in the foster care system and beyond. In an effort to champion diversity and serve vulnerable populations, we are committed to training all of our parents and caretakers to help them provide care for diverse populations, including the LGBTQ+ youth – a group that comprises 30 percent of the foster system and faces many threats due to stigmas that surround expressing sexual identity. In fact, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):

• LGBTQ youth are nearly three times more likely than others to experience a mental health condition, such as major depression or generalized anxiety disorder
• For LGBTQ individuals, ages 10 to 24, suicide is one of the leading causes of death
• LGBTQ youth are four times more likely, and questioning youth are three times more likely, to attempt suicide or engage in self-harm versus heterosexual youth
• An estimated 20 to 30 percent of LGBTQ individuals abuse substances, compared to about 9 percent of the general population

For this population especially, representation and acceptance matters and can be a life-saving measure. We are committed to doing our part to help reduce the burden that LQBTQ+ individuals carry due to stigma.

A Legacy of Advocating for Diverse Populations

As a Devereux foster parent, you never walk alone. Our network of hundreds of foster parents is currently comprised of individuals from non-traditional homes, including LGBTQ+ individuals, single parents or non-married partners. In addition to education and resources to provide care for the needs of a diverse population, Devereux provides all foster parents with the resources they need to succeed. These resources include:

• Generous tax-free weekly stipend
• Company-paid foster parent liability insurance
• Extensive training
• 24-hour on-call professional support
• Paid respite

Take the Next Step

Foster parents are needed. From short-term foster care to permanent foster care, and all situations in between, Devereux is here to guide new and previously certified foster parents on the next step of their journey. Learn more about foster care and the foster parent application process and apply to become a foster parent today.

Disclaimer

At Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, it is our policy to practice nondiscrimination in services. All activities with regard to referrals, admissions, placement of individuals and provision of services are conducted without regard to race, color, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health is proud to recruit, train and support LGBTQ foster parents, some of whom later become adoptive parents.