California agency hopes to find permanent homes for lesbian & gay foster kids

Earlier this year, the Bay Area Reporter announced an adoption agency’s campaign to place gay and lesbian foster youth in permanent homes. An Oakland-based agency called Family Builders by Adoption has been committed to placing kids with families since 1976. It focuses on children who have a tougher time in the foster system, such as LGBT children, those with special needs, and children who have been exposed to drugs or alcohol.

This month, FBA launched a new campaign aimed at foster parents who may want to adopt LGBT children.

There are over 80,000 children in California’s foster care system. Most of the kids awaiting foster families live in group homes, which FBA Executive Director Jill Jacobs says “is the last place most gay kids should be.”

The city of San Francisco – recruits lesbians and gays to adopt foster kids. According to the S.F. Department of Human Services, 101 San Francisco foster children were adopted from July 2006 through April 2007.