American Bar Association

740 15th Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20005-1019
202-662-1000  

 
Center on Children and the Law  
 
American  Bar  Association  Center  on  Children  and  the  Law  Launches  “The  
Kids  Are  Listening”  
-­‐  A  National  Awareness  Campaign  -­‐  
to  Ensure  the  Legal  Rights  and  Protection  of  LGBTQ  Youth    
in  Foster  Care    
 
Escalating  Concern  of  Bullying  and  Discrimination  Leads  to    
First-­‐of-­‐its-­‐Kind  Online  Program    
 
“Every  day,  lesbian,  gay,  bisexual,  transgender,  and  questioning  children  and  teens  are  
bombarded  by  images  and  messages    
that  tell  them  who  they  are  is  not  OK.    
 For  thousands  of  those  in  foster  care,  the  situation  can  be  even  worse.”    
 
New  York,  April  14  2011—  The  American  Bar  Association  (ABA)  Center  on  Children  and  the  
Law  today  announced  the  launch  of  “The  Kids  are  Listening,”  a  nationwide  awareness  campaign  
to  help  ensure  that  the  thousands  of  lesbian,  gay,  bisexual,  transgender,  and  questioning  
(LGBTQ)  children  and  teens  who  are  in  foster  care  receive  the  legal  rights  and  protection  they  
deserve  and  need.      

This  campaign  on  behalf  of  LGBTQ  youth  in  foster  care  is  the  first  of  its  kind  in  the  nation  and  
offers  free  online  resources  and  provides  support  to  legal  and  social  services  professionals  -­‐  
from  judges  to  children’s  attorneys  and  social  services  personnel  -­‐  who  are  involved  in  the  foster  
care  community.      

Via  an  online  video,  “The  Kids  are  Listening”  campaign  encourages  people  of  all  ages  and  walks  
of  life  to  stand  up  to  hate  speech  and  discrimination  of  LGBTQ  youth.  “The  Kids  are  Listening”  
video  and  resources  are  available  for  free  at  http://thekidsarelistening.org

Follow  the  campaign  on  Facebook  (facebook.com/KidsAreListening)  and  Twitter  

 
  

(twitter.com/kidsrlistening).  
 
A  growing  coalition  of  support  is  coming  from  major  organizations  across  the  nation  including  the  
American  Humane  Association;  the  Anti-­‐Defamation  League;  Cartoon  Network’s  Stop  Bullying:  Speak  
Up  Campaign;  Lambda  Legal;  the  Child  Welfare  League  of  America;  the  National  Association  of  
Counsel  for  Children;  the  National  Black  Justice  Coalition;  The  National  Council  of  Juvenile  and  Family  
Court  Judges; the  National  LGBT  Bar  Association;  Safe  Schools  Coalition;  and  the  It  Gets  Better  Project  
created  by  syndicated  columnist  and  author  Dan  Savage.    
 
“The  Kids  are  Listening”  campaign  is  part  of  the  ABA  Center  on  Children  and  the  Law’s  
Opening  Doors  Project,  which  was  created  in  2005  to  increase  the  legal  community’s  
awareness  of  LGBTQ  youth  in  foster  care  and  the  unique  issues  they  face  and  to  provide  the  
legal  community  with  advocacy  tools  to  successfully  represent  these  youth.  
 
“Youth  in  foster  care  grapple  with  serious  and  often  devastating  risk  factors  including  
substance  abuse,  health  issues,  harassment  in  foster  care  and  school,  and  high  suicide  rates,“  
said  Mimi  Laver,  Director  of  the  Opening  Doors  Project  and  Legal  Education  at  the  ABA  Center  
on  Children  and  the  Law.  “’The  Kids  are  Listening’  campaign  is  about  creating  much-­‐needed  
awareness  in  communities  across  America  and  teaching  them  how  to  address  issues  of  
bullying  and  discrimination  to  LGBTQ  youth  in  a  way  that  can  be  immediately  implemented.    
We  can  all  make  a  difference  in  the  lives  of  these  vulnerable  children  and  teens  –  judges,  
lawyers,  child  welfare  professionals,  teachers,  guidance  counselors,  and  community  members  
alike.”  

According  to  Laver,  recent  statistics  on  LGBTQ  youth  –  both  in  and  out  of  the  foster  care  
system  –  portray  a  grim  reality  for  these  children  and  teens:  

• LGBTQ  youth  are  twice  as  likely  to  experience  sexual  abuse  before  the  age  of  
12  
• LGBTQ  youth  are  twice  as  likely  to  attempt  suicide  as  non-­‐LGBTQ  youth    
• 80%  of  LGBTQ  youth  reported  physical  violence  by  their  families  after  coming  
out  

   American Bar Association 740 15th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20005-1019 202-662-1000
  

• Homeless  youth  suicide  rates  are  more  than  twice  as  high  (62%)  than  non-­‐
LGBTQ  homeless  youth  (29%)        
• 80%  of  LGBTQ  students  reported  verbal  harassment  at  school  (70%  feel  
unsafe;  28%  dropped  out)  
• 70%  of  LGBTQ  youth  in  group  homes  reported  violence  based  on  their  LGBTQ  
status  
• 100%  of  LGBTQ  youth  in  group  homes  reported  verbal  harassment  
• 79%  of  LGBTQ  youth  were  removed  or  ran  away  from  placement  because  of  
hostility  to  their  LGBTQ  status  
• More  than  4%-­‐10%  of  LGBTQ  youth  in  state  care  identify  as  LGBTQ    
• Between  11%  and  40%  of  homeless  youth  are  LGBTQ.  One  half  of  homeless  
kids  have  spent  time  in  foster  care  
 
Research  conducted  by  the  ABA  Center  on  Children  and  the  Law  has  found  that  LGBTQ  youth  
are  less  safe  in  foster  care  than  other  children  and  teens;  have  less  of  a  chance  of  being  
reunified  with  their  families  or  getting  adopted;  and  their  health,  emotional  health  and  
educational  needs  are  not  being  met.  

"It’s  essential  for  child  welfare  professionals  to  understand  what's  going  on  in  the  LGBTQ  
community  because  we've  been  hidden  in  the  dark  for  so  long,”  said  Milan,  a  19-­‐year-­‐old  
woman  from  Louisiana  who  was  involved  with  the  juvenile  justice  system.    “There's  a  younger  
generation  that's  coming  behind  me  and  they  need  to  be  well-­‐prepared  for  the  battles  they  
are  about  to  face.  But  they  can't  do  it  alone.  The  Opening  Doors  Project  made  a  big  difference  
in  my  life  because  I  finally  got  to  see  people  come  together  to  make  a  change  in  my  LGBTQ  
community."  

For  more  information  about  “The  Kids  are  Listening”  visit  http://thekidsarelistening.org  or  
call  the  ABA  Center  on  Children  and  the  Law  at  202-­‐662-­‐1720.  

Opening  Doors  Case  Study:  Prince  George’s  County,  MD  LGBTQ  Youth  Task  Force  
In  2007,  social  services  workers  and  child  advocates  in  Prince  George’s  County,  MD,  just  
outside  of  Washington,  DC,  identified  a  problem.  The  LGBTQ  children  in  their  care  faced  
bullying  and  unique  challenges,  and  the  staff  and  volunteers  were  not  equipped  to  adequately  
help.  With  assistance  from  the  Opening  Doors  Project,  the  Prince  George’s  County  LGBTQ  
Youth  Task  Force  was  formed  to  provide  training  and  support  for  legal  and  social  service  
professionals  on  the  front  lines  of  this  issue.  The  county’s  foster  kids  are  now  benefitting  from  

   American Bar Association 740 15th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20005-1019 202-662-1000
  

the  Task  Force’s  initiatives:  they  established  a  group  home  Bill  of  Rights  for  LGBTQ  youth  and  
have  published  resource  guides  for  professionals  working  with  foster  kids.  The  initiatives  
reinforce  the  message  that  everyone  deserves  respect  for  who  they  are.  
 
About  the  ABA  Center  on  Children  and  the  Law  
The  American  Bar  Association  Center  on  Children  and  the  Law  is  a  full-­‐service  technical  
assistance,  training,  and  research  program  addressing  a  broad  spectrum  of  law  and  court-­‐
related  topics  affecting  children.  The  attorneys  working  on  the  Opening  Doors  project  have,  
combined,  35  years  working  in  the  child  welfare  legal  community.  They  have  represented  the  
child  welfare  agency,  as  well  as  children  and  youth  in  the  foster  care  system.  They  focus  much  
of  their  work  on  permanency  issues  for  youth  in  foster  care  with  an  emphasis  on  LGBTQ  
youth.    
 
Media  Contacts:      
Suzanne  Bronski  /  917-­‐292-­‐9554  /  suzanne@bronski.us  
Sekita  Ekrek  /  202-­‐415-­‐6560  /  sekita@sekitaekrek.com  
Garry  I.  Bevel:    ABA  /  202-­‐662-­‐1720  /  Garry.Bevel@americanbar.org  
 
Press  Materials:  http://thekidsarelistening.org  
 
Quote  in  Headline:    Mimi  Laver,  Director  of  the  Opening  Doors  Project  and  Legal  Education  at  
the  ABA  Center  on  Children  and  the  Law  

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   American Bar Association 740 15th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20005-1019 202-662-1000