ABSTRACT
The limited research available on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in care has been instrumental in highlighting many of the barriers that are often encountered in all aspects of the child welfare experience, from the point of contact all the way through to permanency. One of the most significant challenges that has plagued the child welfare system is its inability to simply acknowledge the presence of LGBTQ youth. Many professionals and researchers credit this lack of visibility for largely contributing to many of the challenges that currently exist for LGBTQ youth in care. The permanency process for many youth in foster care is challenging, however, there can be the potential for a number of additional challenges for LGBTQ youth in establishing permanency. Numerous studies suggest that there are a number of benefits that accompany an appropriate permanency outcome for youth in foster care. Thematic analysis of the data was conducted to identify relevant themes and patterns.
