About Us

For over the past 10 years, CDSS’ Children and Family Services Division and the Children’s Residential Program of the Community Care Licensing Division have partnered with internal and external stakeholders working to improve the care, placement, and services of LGBTQ youth in foster care. With the partnership of the SOGIE Advisory Committee, CDSS has implemented legislation along with creating tools and technical assistance resources that focus on the wellbeing of youth in California’s foster care:

• AB 731 statutes of 2015 added to the foster youth bill of rights for youth in foster care who identify as LGBTQ.
• AB 959 statutes of 2015 requires the documentation of SOGIE data in CWS/CMS as self-reported by foster youth.
• AB 2119 statutes of 2018 added to the foster youth bill of rights access to gender affirming care for youth in care.

WHY: Goal of the SOGIE Workgroup:
The workgroup was formed with the goal to ensure that all young people in foster care feel valued and affirmed to embrace their authentic selves in all aspects of their SOGIE.

WHO: The Participants:
The workgroup includes stakeholders from CDSS, Child Welfare Digital Services, the California Department of Health Care Services, Family Builders, getREAL California, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Youth Engagement Project, National Center for Youth Law, Los Angeles LGBT Center.

HOW:
If you would like to be a part of this workgroup, please email us at SOGIE@dss.ca.gov.