I received my quarterly newsletter today from the Tulare County Foster Care/Adoption Agency. To my surprise AND delight there were two separate sections pertaining to our beloved LGBT community. The first was a small article about the Family Acceptance Project being held locally by Dr. Caitlyn Ryan, a mental health professional out of San Francisco. The conference covers how families can support their child when they learn that they are gay, lesbian or transgender. The county is also offering educational credits for all foster parents taking part in the training. If you’d like more info on the Family Acceptance Project you can visit http://familyproject.sfsu.edu
The second article was about PFLAG of Tulare and Kings Counties. It reads: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is a national, non-profit organization with over 200,000 members and supporters and over 500 affiliates in the United States. This vast, grassroots network organization and its local group in Tulare and Kings Counties, provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity. It acts to create a society that is healing and respectful of human diversity. To learn about their vision, mission, and strategic goals, call 579-1101.
I was so happy to see these issues/topics of awareness in a countywide newsletter for parents, foster parents and those in the health and human service agency. Any recognition or light shed upon these areas is a great victory. I’m also hopeful that the youth in our local counties will benefit from this as a result. Steps of progression are always good….no matter how small.