Since 1999, Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit has served the needs of runaway, homeless and at-risk LGBT youth. In fact, it's the only organization in the country that has a residential program for LGBT youth in the foster care and juvenile justice system. But studies suggest that these kids are better off when they can stay at home. So now, Ruth Ellis Center has launched a pilot program with Child Protective Services to give foster families the resources they need to be supportive of their at-risk gay youth.
"Child Protective Services has no mechanism to recognize how sexual orientation or gender identity is related to abuse or neglect. So we decided to do a pilot program for kids who identified as LGBT," said Mark Erwin, director of programs at Ruth Ellis Center. "If a family is being investigated by CPS, the investigation will stop if they work with Ruth Ellis Center for 12 months. The incentive is that no family wants to be investigated or lose custody."
[For more of this story, written by Winnie McCroy, go to http://www.edgeboston.com/news...er_kids_safe_at_home]
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