"LGBTQ kids make up a third of the American foster care system and transgender kids enter it at five times the rate of the general population. But in 2026, there are few legal protections for LGBTQ youth in the system."
"Uncloseted Media's Sam Donndelinger spoke with case workers, advocates and survivors of the foster care system and uncovered why it's failing trans kids. In this episode of "UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton," Spencer sits down with Sam and breaks down the story's key findings."
"Spencer Macnaughton: Hi everyone! Welcome back to Uncloseted with me, Spencer Macnaughton. Today I'm here with our very own Sam Donndelinger, who just wrapped up a fantastic months-long investigation into how the American foster care system is failing trans youth. In her reporting, Sam found that queer youth often face instability and abuse, and new Trump rollbacks are making it even harder for LGBTQ youth in foster care to feel safe."
"Spencer Macnaughton: Yeah, so you spent months working on what became a really powerful investigation into America's foster care system and how it is, you say, failing trans kids. And in the headline you say you spoke to one kid who went through 150 foster homes in 10 years. That's a heartbreaking headline. Tell us about their story."
LGBTQ kids make up a third of the American foster care system, while transgender kids enter it at five times the rate of the general population. In 2026, few legal protections exist for LGBTQ youth in foster care. A months-long investigation centers on why the system fails trans kids, drawing on interviews with case workers, advocates, and survivors. The reporting describes queer youth experiencing instability and abuse, and it links worsening conditions to new Trump rollbacks that reduce safety for LGBTQ youth. The account includes a foster youth who moved through many placements over a decade, illustrating the instability faced by trans youth in care.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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