“I am grateful that TLC has made anti-racism work a priority. If we are truly committed to the healing of our youth then we must do the necessary work to ensure that our policies and practices promote equity and inclusion.”
Daniela Bravo, Director of Latinx Services
Anti-Racism Coaltion
The Anti-Racism Coalition was formed as part of TLC’s call to action in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. We wanted to go beyond words of support for BLM and our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community and identify and implement changes within TLC to better align with our values of diversity, inclusion, equity, and anti-racism.
The Anti-racism Coalition is composed of TLC staff who expressed a desire to participate in providing input to TLC on how to improve our practices and structure. The group currently meets bi-monthly and staff from across all TLC programs are represented.
The Anti-Racism Coalition is working to develop a shared vocabulary and shared understanding around race equity, structural racism, intersectionality, and allyship so that TLC staff are more comfortable and equipped to talk about race and racism, have hard conversations, and recognize when and where we are falling short in addressing inequities. The ARC participates in ongoing processes of inquiry into race, equity, and the efficacy of our anti-racist training and programs.
DEI Resolution Statement
A strongly-held value at TLC Child & Family Services is to honor and embrace the diversity of our clients and employees. We strive to create a safe place where everyone is respected and valued for who they are, and we make conscious efforts to ensure that our culture and norms do not perpetuate oppressive practices. TLC Child & Family Services denounces racial injustice and discrimination of all kinds, including the mistreatment of people based on their race, language, ethnic background, ability, religion, gender identity, or gender expression. We condemn all acts of brutality against people of color and we condemn racism in all of its forms, including systems of power that disadvantage people of color. TLC commits itself fully to the ongoing work of creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and world.
We commit ourselves to implementing cultural and systemic changes within our agency towards the creation of an environment where race is not a determinant of one’s destiny, but a celebration of diversity. We will work towards a day when racial bias and wounds are better understood by all and where our differences are both honored and celebrated. At TLC Child & Family Services we can be agents of the change we want to see in our country. We will start with ourselves and our agency by strengthening our cultivation of inclusion. We will seek input from our employees, youth, families, and community partners and take steps to ensure that we remove bias from our policies and practices. We acknowledge the progress we’ve made for equity and inclusion is unfinished work. We are committed to:
- Re-examining our culture to assure that we are meeting every staff and client where they are with a deep and authentic respect for their race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and lived experience
- Examining policies and resolutions, hiring practices, training opportunities, evaluation of staff feedback, social media and other advertising to ensure that those policies and resolutions do not perpetuate inequities
- Diversifying our board, leadership team, and staff so that the clients we serve are represented at every level of our organization
- Ensuring that the client experience for all who seek support through TLC is equitable and respectful
- Investing more resources in responding to the needs of BIPOC and other minority communities that are traditionally underfunded
- Recognizing, addressing and eliminating microaggressions
- Continuing to develop the work of the TLC Anti-Racism Coalition (ARC), which was created to improve education and training, culture building, representation, and policy and proceduresÂ
LGBTQ + Resolution Statement
TLC Child & Family Services’ staff, youth, families, stakeholders, and board members resolve to provide a culture of safety, support, belonging, confidence, visibility and voice for the LGBTQ+ Community, both within our agency as well as in the larger community. We commit to continued learning and alignment with the highest standards and best practices to provide affirming environments and care. We provide training and guidance to ensure those who self-identify as LGBTQ+, gender expansive, and/or gender nonconforming can safely and successfully navigate LGBTQ+ bias where it continues to exist.
Our mission is aligned with the concept of undoing aloneness for LGBTQ+ youth, which in turn increases protective factors that lead to LGBTQ+ community members thriving. TLC provides the mental health services and agency-wide support needed for healing from the impact of trauma and adverse experiences. We cultivate an environment where LGBTQ+ foster youth and LGBTQ+ BIPOC youth feel safe to express, explore, and develop their identity and expression however solid or fluid it may be. At TLC, every youths’ LGBTQ+ identity and expression are not only accepted but allowed to be integrated into the wholeness of who they are.
At TLC we:
- Provide safe spaces for identity and expression exploration
- Decrease aloneness by increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ foster youth with our Project Flare Campaign
- Increase connections in LGBTQ+ foster communities
- Navigate LGBTQ+ bias by providing education and skill development opportunities
- Nurture, mentor, and empower LGBTQ+ youth leaders