An estimated one-third of foster youth identify as LGBTQ+. Federal agencies are ripping away their protections

When Rin entered foster care as a teen in 2021, he quickly felt overlooked and lost inside the system. It was an emotional upheaval, exacerbated by the complexities of his gender identity and fear of expressing his authentic self.

“I promptly locked myself in the closet,” said Rin, who identifies as transmasculine and uses he/him pronouns. CNN is not identifying him by his full name due to privacy concerns.

After opening up about his gender identity and sexuality to another youth at a group home in rural Oregon, Rin quickly regretted it, feeling ostracized from the other youth by his caregivers and misunderstood. In search of an escape, he found a nonprofit supportive of his identity and that helped him transition out of foster care.

Under the Trump administration, state child welfare agencies and nonprofits like the one that helped Rin are walking a tightrope, trying to find a delicate balance between fulfilling their mission of supporting some of the country’s most vulnerable children and working within the guidelines of a conservative administration that has the power to cut off vital funding.

President Donald Trump has pursued an aggressive agenda targeting LGBTQ+ polices, resetting federal definitions of sex to only male and female, banning transgender people from serving in the US military, restricting federal funds in gender-affirming medical care, preventing transgender women from competing in female sports and taking steps to roll back federal protections for LGBTQ+ youth in schools and foster care.

Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman/Getty Images

In July, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. formally rescinded a Biden-era rule that aimed to ensure LGBTQ+ youth in the child welfare system were placed in homes supportive of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

But placing LGBTQ+ youth into non-affirming households can lead to long-term consequences, Elliott Hinkle, founder of the youth aid group Unicorn Solutions, told CNN. The organization provides training and consultation to community leaders and policymakers on solutions that benefit LGBTQ+ youth, including those in foster care.

Multiple studies estimate that around one-third of all foster youth identify as LGBTQ+, compared with 9.5% of the general youth population. They are shown to have higher rates of suicide attempts and are nearly four times more likely to be kicked out, be abandoned or run away due to negative treatment based on their identity.

It’s “not because something is wrong with these young people,” Hinkle said. “But they’re living in a world that says ‘we don’t want you here.’ And I would say a logical response to that, though a sad one, is to say, ‘I don’t want to be here anymore because nobody makes it feel like I should be.’”

Having themselves been an LGBTQ+ foster youth, Hinkle, who uses they/them pronouns, stressed that becoming a foster parent is a privilege – not a right – and accepting kids for who they are is a necessary and moral component of child welfare.

“Children in foster care don’t choose to be in foster care, so they’re already at a power imbalance,” Hinkle said. “If a child were to come into my home and they’re a completely different culture, race, background from me, who am I to say that they need to completely assimilate into my life, or they can’t be there?”

At least 35 states and Washington, DC, have implemented policies in recent years that offer varying levels of legal and anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ foster youth.

The protections for foster youth have come a long way in recent decades, several experts told CNN, at both state and city levels.

For instance, in 2012, New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services founded what is now called the LGBTQIA+ Office, which helps implement LGBTQ+ policies and support LGBTQ+ youth.

Today, that includes mandatory training for social workers and foster parents, and a push to recruit more LGBTQ+-identifying foster parents – a practice seen not just in New York but elsewhere like California and Illinois, according to official agencies and experts CNN spoke to.

“Establishing trust really quickly” with foster youth is critical “because so much trust has been broken for these young people,” said a former adviser for one of the country’s largest municipal child welfare agencies, who asked not to be named due to concerns of repercussion for speaking out about recent policy changes.

Since Trump took office and began targeting LGBTQ+ policies, state-level political appointees have also rolled back many initiatives for LGBTQ+ foster youth, which experts say is prompting child welfare groups to fear speaking up for fear of retribution.

“Things really have gone backwards from where they were,” said Gary Mallon, a professor at Hunter College in New York City who researches LGBTQ+ child welfare.

Mallon, who previously traveled across the country training prospective foster parents, said the shift is a stark contrast to before the Trump administration’s second term, when even some conservative states were slowly embracing initiatives to help LGBTQ+ foster youth.

“There was hardly any pushback from the staff or the community about [trainings] in a state that is very conservative,” Mallon told CNN, recounting experiences in the South when some prospective families with strong religious beliefs thanked him for raising the issue.

Several Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups are pushing back against the dismantling of LGBTQ+ child welfare initiatives.

In response to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to roll back Biden-era protections for LGBTQ+ foster youth, Reps. Mark Takano of California and Angie Craig of Minnesota, respectively chair and co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, issued statements critical of the policy change.

“Every child in foster care – including LGBTQI+ children – deserves a safe home, which is exactly what the Biden Administration sought to accomplish with this rule,” Takano said. “Rescinding this rule without putting forward an alternative to protect LGBTQI+ foster children puts children at risk, plain and simple.”

“The ‘party of family values’ strikes again and their relentless attacks on LGBTQ+ youth continue,” Craig said, calling it “yet another disgraceful attack on LGBTQ+ foster youth and on families across this country.”

In September 2025, months into Trump’s second term, the Administration for Children and Families, a division within HHS, sent a letter to 13 states that have policies stating prospective foster families should support a child’s sexual and gender identity, arguing these regulations violated some families’ religious beliefs and were potentially unconstitutional.

“As you know, I have the responsibility of monitoring how federal funds are used and ensuring that federal law is upheld,” Andrew Gradison, then the agency’s acting assistant secretary, warned in the letters.

Two states, Massachusetts and Vermont, changed their policies after receiving the letters, ACF said in a statement. The agency didn’t identify the other states that received the letter.

Massachusetts, which was facing a lawsuit over the issue, said in February its regulations were being updated to remove references to supporting a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity, instead requiring foster parents to “affirm a child’s individual identity and needs.”

In response to CNN’s inquiry, Massachusetts Department of Children and Families Commissioner Staverne Miller said the agency’s “top priority is providing a safe and supportive home for all children in foster care,” and it is “committed to ensuring that no one is prevented from applying or reapplying to be a foster parent because of their religious beliefs.”

Vermont officials told CNN its policies for licensed caregivers changed as part of a settlement of two federal lawsuits, and the process was already in progress when it received Gradison’s letter.

While agreeing to affirm a child’s LGBTQ+ identity is no longer a requirement to become a licensed caregiver, the state still “thoughtfully matches children and youth with caregivers … with the goal of providing homes where youth are physically safe, emotionally supported, and treated with respect,” said Aryka Radke, a deputy commissioner with the Vermont Department for Children and Families.

Christian Monterrosa/Reuters

Two months after the letter sent by Gradison to states, Trump also issued an executive order , spearheaded by first lady Melania Trump, aimed at reforming support for youth in foster care and which emphasized prospective foster parents should not be disqualified for religious beliefs that prevent them from affirming an LGBTQ+ youth’s identity.

“Some jurisdictions and organizations maintain policies that discourage or prohibit qualified families from serving children in need as foster and adoptive parents because of their sincerely-held religious beliefs or adherence to basic biological truths,” the order stated.

It urged to “take appropriate action” to address state policies that “inappropriately prohibit participation in federally-funded child-welfare programs by qualified individuals or organizations based upon their sincerely-held religious beliefs or moral convictions.”

And the ACF sent a letter to all 50 states in March advising them against removing children from homes where parents “decline to support a child’s self-identification as the opposite sex.”

“The Administration’s goal is to keep families together whenever safely possible, and to expand the number of loving foster homes when foster care is necessary,” ACF said in a statement to CNN. “Additionally, states should not turn away families who can provide safe homes simply because of sincerely held religious or moral convictions.”

In many states, it is nonprofit and advocacy groups that often facilitate services and navigate foster care placements. But federal actions, like requiring groups that receive federal grants to adhere to Trump’s anti-DEI policies, are making the process more difficult, according to Sean Suib, executive director at New Avenues for Youth, an Oregon-based nonprofit that supports homeless children.

“We have to attest that we’re practicing in alignment with some practices that, frankly, are not data or science vetted and are against the values of this community,” Suib said. “In a time where philanthropy is looking challenged and where the economics of the state are challenged, the threat of not having a federal partner is real.”

Combined with cuts to other programs meant to help vulnerable populations – such as food stamps and Medicaid – Suib said these decisions will only make it more difficult for nonprofits like his to adequately help the communities they serve.

“We’re under so much duress because of both the political and the funding environment,” he said. “It’s like a water balloon. You squeeze in one place, and it’s going to bulge out in another.”

2021年，十几岁的凛进入寄养家庭后，很快就感到被忽视，迷失在这个体系中。这对他来说是一场情感上的剧变，而他复杂的性别认同以及害怕表达真实的自我，更使这种剧变雪上加霜。

“我立刻把自己锁进了衣柜，”林说道。他自认为是跨性别男性，使用他/他的代词。出于隐私考虑，CNN没有透露他的全名。

在俄勒冈州乡村一家青少年之家，Rin向另一位青少年坦白了自己的性别认同和性取向后，很快就后悔了。他感到被照顾者排斥，也不被其他青少年理解。为了摆脱这种困境，他找到了一家支持他身份认同的非营利组织，该组织帮助他离开了寄养家庭。

在特朗普政府的领导下，各州儿童福利机构和像帮助 Rin 的非营利组织一样，都在走钢丝，努力在履行其支持该国一些最弱势儿童的使命和在有权切断重要资金的保守派政府的指导方针内工作之间找到微妙的平衡。

唐纳德·特朗普总统推行了一项针对 LGBTQ+ 群体的激进政策，将联邦性别定义重新定义为只有男性和女性，禁止跨性别者在美国军队服役，限制联邦资金用于性别肯定医疗保健，阻止跨性别女性参加女子体育比赛，并采取措施撤销联邦政府对学校和寄养机构中 LGBTQ+ 青少年的保护。

Jay Janner/《奥斯汀美国政治家报》/Getty Images

7 月，美国卫生与公众服务部部长小罗伯特·F·肯尼迪正式撤销了拜登时代的一项规定，该规定旨在确保儿童福利系统中的 LGBTQ+ 青少年被安置在支持其性取向、性别认同和性别表达的家庭中。

但青年援助组织“独角兽解决方案”（Unicorn Solutions）的创始人埃利奥特·欣克尔（Elliott Hinkle）告诉CNN，将LGBTQ+青少年安置在不接纳他们的家庭中可能会造成长期的不良后果。该组织为社区领袖和政策制定者提供培训和咨询，帮助他们找到有利于LGBTQ+青少年（包括寄养青少年）的解决方案。

多项研究估计，约有三分之一的寄养青少年是LGBTQ+群体成员，而普通青少年群体中这一比例为9.5%。研究表明，LGBTQ+群体成员的自杀未遂率更高，并且由于其身份认同而遭受歧视，他们被驱逐、遗弃或离家出走的可能性几乎是普通青少年的四倍。

“这并不是因为这些年轻人有什么问题，”欣克尔说。“而是因为他们生活在一个‘我们不欢迎你’的世界里。对此，一个合乎逻辑的回应，虽然令人难过，就是说，‘我不想再待在这里了，因为没有人让我觉得我应该待在这里。’”

辛克尔本人曾是 LGBTQ+ 寄养青年，她使用“他们/她们”代词，强调成为寄养父母是一种特权，而不是一项权利，接受孩子本来的样子是儿童福利中必要且道德的组成部分。

“寄养儿童并非自愿选择寄养，所以他们本身就处于权力不对等的状态，”欣克尔说。“如果一个孩子来到我家，而他的文化、种族、背景都与我完全不同，我有什么资格说他必须完全融入我的生活，或者他不能待在我家呢？”

近年来，至少有 35 个州和华盛顿特区实施了相关政策，为 LGBTQ+ 寄养青年提供不同程度的法律和反歧视保护。

多位专家告诉 CNN，近几十年来，无论是在州一级还是市一级，对寄养儿童的保护都取得了长足的进步。

例如，2012 年，纽约市儿童服务管理局成立了现在被称为 LGBTQIA+ 办公室的机构，该机构帮助实施 LGBTQ+ 政策并支持 LGBTQ+ 青少年。

如今，这包括对社会工作者和寄养父母进行强制性培训，并大力招募更多 LGBTQ+ 群体成员的寄养父母——据 CNN 采访的官方机构和专家称，这种做法不仅在纽约出现，在加利福尼亚州和伊利诺伊州等其他地方也出现。

“与寄养青年迅速建立信任至关重要，因为这些年轻人的信任已经被破坏了太多，”该国最大的市政儿童福利机构之一的前顾问表示。由于担心公开谈论最近的政策变化会遭到报复，这位顾问要求匿名。

自特朗普上任并开始针对 LGBTQ+ 政策以来，各州的政治任命官员也取消了许多针对 LGBTQ+ 寄养青年的举措，专家表示，这导致儿童福利团体因害怕遭到报复而不敢发声。

“情况真的比以前更糟了，”纽约市亨特学院研究 LGBTQ+ 儿童福利的教授加里·马隆说。

马隆此前曾走遍全国各地培训未来的寄养父母，他表示，这种转变与特朗普政府第二任期之前形成了鲜明对比，当时甚至一些保守州也在慢慢接受帮助 LGBTQ+ 寄养青年的举措。

马龙告诉 CNN：“在一个非常保守的州，员工或社区几乎没有对（培训）提出任何反对意见。”他回忆起在南方的一些经历，当时一些有强烈宗教信仰的潜在家庭感谢他提出了这个问题。

一些民主党议员和倡导团体正在反对拆除 LGBTQ+ 儿童福利计划。

针对美国卫生与公众服务部撤销拜登时代对 LGBTQ+ 寄养青年的保护措施的决定，加利福尼亚州众议员马克·高野和明尼苏达州众议员安吉·克雷格（分别是国会平等核心小组主席和联合主席）发表声明，批评了这一政策变化。

“每个寄养儿童——包括LGBTQI+儿童——都应该拥有一个安全的家，而这正是拜登政府制定这项规定的初衷，”高野说。“在没有提出替代方案来保护LGBTQI+寄养儿童的情况下撤销这项规定，无疑会将儿童置于危险之中。”

“‘家庭价值观党’再次出手，他们对 LGBTQ+ 青少年的无情攻击仍在继续，”克雷格说，并称这是“对 LGBTQ+ 寄养青少年和全国各地家庭的又一次可耻攻击”。

2025 年 9 月，特朗普第二个任期开始几个月后，美国卫生与公众服务部下属的儿童与家庭管理局向 13 个州发出了一封信，这些州的政策规定，未来的寄养家庭应该支持孩子的性取向和性别认同。该信认为，这些规定违反了一些家庭的宗教信仰，并且可能违宪。

“如你所知，我有责任监督联邦资金的使用情况，并确保联邦法律得到维护，”时任该机构代理助理部长的安德鲁·格雷迪森在信中警告说。

美国儿童与家庭管理局（ACF）在一份声明中表示，马萨诸塞州和佛蒙特州在收到信件后修改了政策。该机构没有透露其他收到信件的州。

马萨诸塞州曾因这个问题面临诉讼，该州在 2 月份表示，正在更新其法规，删除有关支持儿童性取向或性别认同的表述，而是要求寄养父母“肯定儿童的个人身份和需求”。

针对 CNN 的询问，马萨诸塞州儿童和家庭事务部专员斯塔弗恩·米勒表示，该机构的“首要任务是为所有寄养儿童提供安全和支持性的家庭”，并且“致力于确保任何人不会因为宗教信仰而被阻止申请或重新申请成为寄养父母”。

佛蒙特州官员告诉 CNN，作为两起联邦诉讼和解协议的一部分，该州对持证护理人员的政策已经改变，而当他们收到格雷迪森的信时，这一过程已经在进行中。

佛蒙特州儿童与家庭事务部副部长艾瑞卡·拉德克表示，虽然同意认可儿童的 LGBTQ+ 身份不再是成为持证照护者的必要条件，但该州仍然“认真地将儿童和青少年与照护者进行匹配……目标是提供让青少年在身体上安全、情感上得到支持并受到尊重的家庭环境”。

克里斯蒂安·蒙特罗萨/路透社

在格雷迪森致信各州两个月后，特朗普还发布了一项行政命令，由第一夫人梅拉尼娅·特朗普牵头，旨在改革对寄养青年的支持，并强调不应因宗教信仰而取消准寄养父母的资格，即使这些宗教信仰阻止他们肯定 LGBTQ+ 青年的身份。

该命令指出：“一些司法管辖区和组织由于其真诚的宗教信仰或对基本生物学真理的坚持，而维持着一些政策，这些政策阻碍或禁止符合条件的家庭为有需要的儿童提供寄养和收养服务。”

它敦促“采取适当行动”，以解决各州“基于其真诚持有的宗教信仰或道德信念，不恰当地禁止合格的个人或组织参与联邦资助的儿童福利计划”的政策。

今年 3 月，ACF 向所有 50 个州发出了一封信，建议他们不要将儿童从父母“拒绝支持孩子自我认同为异性”的家庭中带走。

“本届政府的目标是在确保安全的前提下尽可能让家庭团聚，并在需要寄养时增加充满爱心的寄养家庭数量，”美国儿童与家庭管理局（ACF）在发给CNN的一份声明中表示。“此外，各州不应仅仅因为真诚的宗教或道德信仰而拒绝那些能够提供安全住所的家庭。”

在许多州，通常是非营利组织和倡导团体负责协调服务并安排寄养安置。但据总部位于俄勒冈州、致力于帮助无家可归儿童的非营利组织“青年新途径”（New Avenues for Youth）的执行主任肖恩·苏伊布（Sean Suib）称，联邦政府的一些举措，例如要求接受联邦拨款的团体遵守特朗普的反多元化、公平和包容（DEI）政策，正使这一过程变得更加困难。

苏伊布说：“我们不得不承认，我们所做的某些做法，坦白说，既没有数据也没有科学依据，而且违背了我们社区的价值观。在慈善事业和州经济都面临挑战的当下，失去联邦合作伙伴的威胁是真实存在的。”

Suib表示，这些决定再加上削减其他旨在帮助弱势群体的项目（如食品券和医疗补助），只会让像他所在的非营利组织更难充分帮助他们所服务的社区。

他说：“由于政治环境和资金环境的双重压力，我们现在处境非常艰难。这就像一个水球，你挤压一个地方，它就会在另一个地方鼓起来。”