GLBTQ Parent Support Group
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TCP's support group for adoptive, foster & birth
parents. Our next meeting will be Thursday, May 1st
from 7:00 - 8:15 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church
(directions). Questions? Email us at centerproject@hotmail.com |
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Thanks to all who have participated in our Parent Support Group meetings! We were amazed at the diversity within this group in terms how they came to be a parent and their family configurations, age of children, etc. For those of you who were not able to make it, here is a recap of the meetings: April, 2008: Erika K. Patterson, PhD, Licensed Psychologist of Spring Grove Counseling spoke with us about bullying. This was followed by an in-depth discussion on our personal experiences around this subject. March, 2008: We had an open discussion, including a follow up to the meeting last month. We also signed cards to send the family of Lawrence King and the school he attended. February, 2008: Anna Lingo, a Columbia attorney specializing in family law, spoke with us about legal issues related to GLBTQ parenting. We had a lively question & answer session about the actions parents can take to legally protect their families. January, 2008: Our group has grown! We had several new families and individuals join us. This month's meeting was about sharing our personal experiences. We had an open discussion on the joys and hardships of parenting. November, 2007: The meeting began with brief introductions, and then group guidelines were established (check back here later for a list of guidelines). We then broke the group into two teams, and played a fun game of Family Pictionary in order to get to know each other a little better. This was followed by a brainstorming session on future topics for the group. We discussed the possibility of having the older kids meet as a group while the parents are meeting. More to come on this! |
What is a support group? A support group is a group of individuals or couples who meet on a regular basis to exchange mutual support & information, often focusing on a shared experience or area of difficulty. Our support group will be a forum for GLBTQ adults to gather and receive mutual support and information about parenting. Child care will be provided. In time we hope to develop some affirming activities for children as well.
Who should attend? Any mid-Missouri resident who identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer and who is, or hopes to be, a parent (biological, adoptive or foster) is welcome to attend the group!
What will happen at the meeting? At the first meeting, we will introduce ourselves and share our ideas and hopes for the group. We will also decide when future meetings will be held and what the focus of those meetings will be. The group’s interest and needs will drive the meeting agenda. Future meeting may include group discussion time or presentations from community experts on parenting issues.
Why is TCP sponsoring this support group? TCP recognizes that many factors, including Missouri state law, can make it very difficult for mid-Missouri GLBTQ families to feel safe and supported. While gains have been recently made in the area of gay and lesbian parenting , many parents and individuals and couples who wish to become parents struggle to receive accurate and timely information about the real issues that affect their daily lives, such as how to begin the process of becoming foster parents, how to negotiate the local school system when your child is bullied for having a gay parent, or how to find local GLBTQ friendly medical care providers. When it opens, the center will provide services to GLBTQ families. Until then, we will help to create a parent-led network of support and resources.
Is this the same thing as PFLAG? No, this is a different type of group. While Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays’ (PFLAG) mission has grown over the years, it is often the place where straight parents of GLBT children first come for support when their children come out. TCP’s support group is for GLBTQ adults who are or want to become parents. You can read more about PFLAG at: http://www.pflag.org/History.history.0.html
Is it o.k. to attend once, just to see what the group is like? Sure!
Can I come by myself or should my girlfriend/boyfriend/partner/spouse attend too? Feel free to come by yourself or bring someone along- it's your choice!
Other questions? Please email us at centerproject@hotmail.com or call 573-441-0030.
Did you know?...
Gay & lesbian adoptive & foster parents are a valuable social and financial resource! According to a March 2007 study by Gary J. Gates and M.V. Lee Badgett of the Williams Institute and Kate Chambers and Jennifer Macomber of the Urban Institute:
| More than one in three lesbians has given birth and one in six gay men have fathered or adopted a child. |
| More than half of gay men and 41 percent of lesbians want to have a child. |
| An estimated two million GLB people are interested in adopting. |
| An estimated 65,500 adopted children are living with a lesbian or gay parent. |
| Same-sex couples raising adopted children are older, more educated, and have more economic resources than other adoptive parents. |
| An estimated 14,100 foster children are living with lesbian or gay parents. |
| 114,000 children in the foster care system await adoption. |
| Gay and lesbian parents are raising three percent of foster children in the United States; 3% single gay or lesbians and & 1% gay or lesbian couples. |
| A national ban on GLB foster care could cost from $87 to $130 million and displace 9,000 to 14,000 children. |
| Costs of a national ban to individual states could range from $100,000 to $27 million. |
This report estimates that only 161 adopted children in Missouri (ranked #41) are living with gay and lesbian parents. In comparison, an estimated 16, 458 adopted children live with gay or lesbian parents in California (ranked #1) and 7,042 in New York (ranked #2).
Be informed...read more at: http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute//publications/FinalAdoptionReport.pdf
