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An Open Letter to Social Workers, Kinship Caregivers, and LGBTQ2IAS+ Youth
A time ago, Whitney Houston sang a song. It went, “I believe that children are our future, treat them well, and let them lead the way.”
I have no idea if it’s because of the age I was at the time I first heard this song, or being the oldest of nine siblings, but this song speaks to one of my core beliefs. Our youth should be valued, uplifted, and respected and they don’t always receive it at home. Children in foster care require dedicated individuals in their lives who have chosen to uplift and fortify them. They deserve family, friendship, and education, inside and outside of the home. If you are a social worker or someone who works in the field of child welfare, you get the immense honor and responsibility to not only write their story but also affect how they read it.
As a kinship parent, adoptive mom, and prior foster child, I ask that anyone reading this be intentional as you engage with our youth. Per The Children’s Bureau while approximately 5% of the general population is estimated to be LGBTQ+, a study conducted in New York City found that 34.1 percent of youth in foster care reported being a sexual or gender minority. You are helping to create the next generation. You may not believe it, but they are listening.
They are forming views of their own value in your words and the way you show up for them. They are watching how your actions align with your statements. When you share your story, they are measuring their growth potential. Be intentional. Be observant. Honor your word.
They are forming views of their own value in your words and the way you show up for them. They are watching how your actions align with your statements. When you share your story, they are measuring their growth potential. Be intentional. Be observant. Honor your word.
As a child, I grew up in the foster care system. I was intelligent, but you wouldn’t have known it. I often skipped school, bailed on assignments, and inevitably dropped out. By 16, I had determined, as many of our youth do, that I did not need to devote my time and energy to my education because what’s the point? I had already learned indirectly through statements made by the adults around me that I would not amount to much as a young, dark skin, lesbian from North Philly. Then, after encountering so many people, I met the one who made a difference. The one who made it her mission to push me to be more than I believed was possible at the time. The one who saw positivity in my actions heard the intelligence in my words and chose to rephrase my negative self-talk. I am forever grateful.
As social workers, kinship parents, and individuals working in the field of child welfare, you have the ability to be the one our youth remembers. Let them remember you for your greatness. Let them remember you for your statements of life spoken into them. Help them to remember you for the ways you stepped up when others didn’t. Change the world through your actions with them and if you have the chance, help to change their story. The work we do is so important because we get to engage and have a responsibility to protect. Do not take it for granted!
To our youth, you are strong. You are powerful. You may not have the courage today, but you can move forward until it arrives. Each day, take a step. Honor that step. Learn from that step. There are so many who remain stagnant. Taking a step is the difference between where you are and where you want to be. The difference between success and failure is simply the choice to move. Keep moving. Keep learning. Accept your mistakes and try again. I love you.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Byrd