The Safe Harbor Project
The Safe Harbor Project (a collaboration between the Department of Children and Families and True Colors, Inc.) program was created to educate and implement appropriate culturally competent, Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Questioning & Intersex (LGBTQI) affirming, unbiased service training for foster and adoptive parents and providers surrounding the issues and problems specific to sexual minority youth. The Safe Harbor Project initiative seeks to enforce protection, support and equality of all children, regardless of their sexual orientation.
Open House Schedule Safe Harbor Flyer
Finding the Level of Commitment
that's right for you:
Fostering |
Respite Care |
Mentoring |
Volunteer |
Donate
Fostering
Next to adoption, this is the highest level of care and requires the most
preparation. Requirements include attending an open house or informational
session that also includes the preliminary interview. This is followed by a
follow up interview, background check and home study. If those are completed
successfully, you would then participate in a 9 week foster parent training (one
night a week for 9 weeks). This training is also part of the interview process.
Once the training is completed successfully, you would be licensed and could
then have children or youth placed with you. 45 Hours of additional post
licensing training is also required within 18 months but there is a lot of
flexibility on what courses and when you would do them. Thereafter, foster
parents are required to do 9 hours per year. Individuals interested in adopting
go though exactly the same training and background checks as those interested in
Fostering. In addition, a child placed for adoption with you must remain in care
with you for a minimum of one year prior to the finalization of the adoption.
Contact us for more information.
Respite care
This is a new addition to foster parent options and is a briefer kind of
fostering – you take in a child/youth or children for a few days, a week, two
weeks – whenever their current caretakers need respite for various reasons. The
background, home study and other requirements are the same as Fostering, but the
training is briefer (about 9 hours all together).
Contact us for more information.
Mentoring
Mentoring Overview
|
Mentoring Application
Form |
Release of
Information Form
The Safe Harbor Project Mentoring Program seeks to expand the quality of life
benefits of mentoring to an additional group of at-risk youth – Lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. LGBT youth meet all of the requirements
for inclusion in an “at risk” or “high risk” category. All too often, youth who
are (or who are perceived to be) LGBT are met with harassment and violence at
home, at school, and in the community at large. The social isolation and stigma
attached to sexual minority status leads to significantly higher rates of
substance abuse, suicide attempts and completions; truancy; school drop-outs;
running away and homelessness. For a variety of reasons, existing programs –
virtually without exception – overlook or ignore the needs of LGBT adolescents.
Understanding the issues that these young people face can create an environment
where they can benefit from the adult caring and support that is at the heart of
mentoring.
Contact us for more information.
Volunteer
If you are not able to commit to a specific level of care at this time, but
still have some time and want to help, you can volunteer for True Colors and
help to organize the largest LGBT youth issues conference in the country or you
could come in and help out in the office.
Contact us for more information.
Donate
If time is an issue for you right now, perhaps you can donate resources.
Donations are used directly to support programs and activities related to our
mission: ensuring that LGBTI youth, adults and families are welcomed, valued and
affirmed at home, in school, in our social service and mental health care
agencies, in civil rights and in the community at large.
Contact us for more information.