When young people are kicked out of their home

• First, know that trauma in tweens will show up differently than trauma in teens.
  • 27 Signs That a Teen May Be Traumatized
  • Childhood Trauma
  • Recognizing and Treating Child Traumatic Stress
  • Trauma and teenagers – common reactions
  • Trauma Care for Children and Adolescents
• Let them stay with you.
  • "Family Adopts 15-Year-Old Gay Teen Who Was Disowned By His Family" offers a stellar example of a gay boy fleeing abuse and neglect at home. You don't have to go as far as adoption. But the way this family immediately leapt in is something we can all take a lesson from.
• Give them access to your shower and washer/dryer.
• Provide them with food, clothing, a tent, a warm sleeping bag and pillow, and/or gift cards.
• Give them rides to appointments, school, friends' homes, or other places they need to be.
• Help them get connected to resources in the community.
  • For gender diverse youth: running away
  • Resources for LGBTQ Youth Experiencing Homelessness
  • LGBTQ Youth In The Foster Care System (PDF)
  • For local resources, try searching online for
    "homeless youth," "homeless queer youth," or "homeless trans youth," plus the name of your city or town.
    • If that doesn't yield helpful results, try replacing where you live with a nearby city or metropolitan area.
    • You can always call organizations in your nearest urban center to see if they know of local resources that may not be turning up in your searching online.
• Help in any other way you can think of.
• Hint: if you're not sure what they need, ask.
• While you're doing this, make sure that you have the support you need to understand the situation and to help this young person most effectively. This support can come from friends, family, or mental health professionals.

• These systems are often not safe for queer and trans tweens or teens, especially those of color.
  • LGBTQ Youth in the Foster Care System (PDF) (Human Rights Campaign)
  • LGBTQ Youth In The Foster Care System (PDF) (National Center for Lesbian Rights)
  • You can find more information on queer and trans young people in foster care in the parents' section of R2T2.
• Remember that, if filing a report would make the situation worse, there's no requirement for counselors or mandated reporters* to call.

* Most foster parents and many others who work or volunteer with young people are mandated reporters. When in doubt, check with the organization under which you're a mandated reporter to see what caveats their policy might have.

• Making such a decision could be challenging with a tween because they're so young and generally can't navigate the world in the same way that a teenager can.
  • In assessing how safe contacting CPS might be, think about the political leaning of the area where you live.
    • If you're in a more liberal area, CPS may be safe to call.
    • If your area is more conservative, a call to CPS may put this young person at risk.
    • When in doubt, check out your local child protective services website or give them a call to try to gauge how queer- and trans-friendly they might be.

These resources are linked at the top of R2T2's menu, as well as on this particular webpage. You'll also find them below:

• Trevor Project
• Trans Lifeline
• LGBT National Help Center, including a specific youth talk line, coming out support hotline, and weekly youth chatrooms. All are prominently linked on the organization's homepage.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline
  • They can provide support over the phone and will connect you with local resources.
  • 988's website has two directly relevant subsections:
  • 988 for LGBTQI+ people
  • 988 for Youth
• Other relevant subsections are for folx who are neurodivergent, Deaf, Native, Black, and suicide attempt survivors. There's also help available in Spanish.
• The Network/La Red (a survivor-led organizing to end partner abuse)
• love is respect (a queer- and trans-inclusive place for young people experiencing dating violence, as well as their friends, parents, and teachers)
• (However, see also Talking About Suicide & LGBT Populations (PDF).)

• • Homeless Youth & Sexual Violence (PDF)
  • LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness
  • LGBTQ teens are expelled from their homes by religious parents. We must do better.
  • PERCEPTIONS: Exploring Youth Homelessness Prevention and Diversion in the United States