AARP Hearing Center
Stephen Voss
There are more than 400,000 children in foster care in the United States. As a single gay man who had always dreamed of having a child, applying to be a foster parent seemed a natural next step. But when I did so 18 years ago, there was an undercurrent of discouragement. There was little diversity among applicants when it came to race, gender or sexual orientation, and many dropped out. That is why I created RaiseAChild 11 years ago — to recruit LGBTQ prospective foster and adoptive parents. Since our organization began, we have provided support to more than 5,000 families who have fostered or adopted nearly 10,000 children and youth in foster care.
The problem I’m trying to solve
The foster care crisis continues to grow in the United States. The number of children in foster care continues to rise, while there is a shortage of foster parents to take care of them. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened this problem, as a whole generation of foster parents now feel unsafe to take kids into their home because of their age and health. In Los Angeles County alone, over 37,000 children languish in the foster care system due to a shortage of homes.
The moment that sparked my passion
Almost 20 years ago, I finally got up the nerve to register for foster parent training orientation. Halfway through the class, a woman blurted out during discussion that she would kick out a foster child who told her they were gay. I sat there with a smile on my face, waiting for the instructors to explain to her that that was not in the boy’s best interests. Instead, they turned red in the face and moved on. That’s when I vowed to myself that not only would I become a foster parent, but I would also do what I could to make this challenging process easier for others, especially LGBTQ individuals.
What I wish other people knew
There are unfortunately so many misconceptions of children in foster care. These kids aren’t put there because of what they’ve done, but because of what’s been done to them. They need understanding and nurturing.
