Kristen Weber (’97), Senior Director of Child Welfare at the National Center for Youth Law, coauthored an article in Family Justice Journal outlining challenges and solutions in the collective effort to eliminate laws and policies that discriminate against LGBTQ+ youth, especially within the child welfare system (“Policies of Compassion: Supporting the Health & Safety of LGBTQ+ Youth and their Families,” Jul. 24). Kristen advocated for a four-pronged approach to change, including calls to action to “dismantle harmful policies, mitigate harm in child welfare systems, promote policies that support family integrity and limit child welfare involvement, and innovate and create new policies that help families stay connected and keep youth safe.” Kristen recognized there is no one-size-fits-all solution and held that “support must be multifaceted and consider both the strengths and the sociopolitical environment of different communities.”
