In interviews with child welfare professionals, mentors, and foster caregivers our team learned that adults often fear making mistakes by providing youth with too much—or not enough—information about sexuality and sexual health. We found a need for child welfare organizations to develop policies supporting sexuality education and access to sexual and reproductive health care for youth in foster care.
This sample sexual health policy was developed in partnership with UN|HUSHED to help child welfare organizations think through the following topics that they may address in their policies and practices:
- Training and support for adults affiliated with the agency
- Trauma-informed, inclusive environment that respects youth rights and supports their attainment of sexual health
- Education on sexuality and relationships for youth in foster care
- Access to sexual and reproductive health care
