The LGBTQ Parenting Connection is a network of agencies, organizations, and programs whose primary focus is supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) parents, their children, and their communities. Members of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection work to create healthy and informed communities within which LGBTQ families thrive. Our aim is to ensure that LGBTQ-led families will be free from the impacts of ignorance, hostility, harassment, discrimination and oppression, intentional and/or unintentional, and can participate fully in all levels of community life.
Goals
• To enhance the health and well being of LGBTQ-led families through local programs and services.
• To provide knowledge, consultation and resources on LGBTQ-led families locally, provincially, and beyond.
Objectives
1. To reduce social isolation and promote healthy, resilient LGBTQ-led families by providing information/support services to prospective parents, people at different stages of parenthood, and their children.
2. To promote culturally competent programs and services for LGBTQ-led families and foster healthy, inclusive public policy through research, knowledge transfer, training, and consultations with service providers and decision makers.
3. To guide future programs and services through evaluation and planning with input from clients, community members, and service providers.
Anti-oppression Agreements
The LGBTQ Parenting Connection, and all of its member organizations and groups, embrace the diversity of all LGBTQ-led families, and do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship, ethnic origin, religion, disability, marital status, socio-economic status, family structure, or the means used to achieve family composition.
Membership
The LGBTQ Parenting Network (Sherbourne Health Centre), Queer Parenting Programs (The 519 Community Centre), and Family Service Toronto (formerly The Family Service Association of Toronto) are the three founding members of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection.
Other groups, organizations and/or programs, whose primary focus is LGBTQ-led families, and who subscribe to the goals, objectives, and anti-oppression agreements of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection are welcomed to become part of the network and to attend regular network meetings.
Groups, organizations or programs outside the city of Toronto, whose primary focus is LGBTQ-led families, and who subscribe to the goals, objectives, and anti-oppression agreements of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection may also become members of the network, even if they are unable to attend network meetings. Such members will be notified of all meetings of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection, and sent minutes of such meetings by mail or email.
To become a member of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection, please send an email to parentingnetwork@sherbourne.on.ca requesting an application form.
Programs and Activities
Each of the groups, agencies and/or organizations that are members of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection will provide programs or services consistent with their own mandates and capacities. From time to time, members may choose to undertake joint projects, or to collaborate for the purposes of promoting the goals and objectives of the organization.
Members are responsible for providing administrative, financial and staffing support for any programs or activities that they undertake. Should members choose to undertake joint projects, they may also choose to contribute jointly to the administrative, financial and staffing resources required to develop and implement these projects.
Network Meetings
Members of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection will meet on a regular basis, likely two or three times per year. Meetings will be convened by one or more of the coordinators of the founding member organizations.
The purpose of these meetings is as follows:
• To share information about activities that are being undertaken by individual members of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection;
• To facilitate communication between service providers to ensure the provision of complimentary services for LGBTQ parents and to avoid unnecessary duplication or redundancy in service provision;
• To share information about LGBTQ-led families, including new trends, relevant research, and relevant public policy changes;
• To share information about gaps in services, and to strategize about how these needs may be met;
• To plan and organize joint activities or projects, where appropriate, and plans for funding applications for such projects and how individual members may contribute to the financial and staffing costs, including where fiscal and administrative responsibility for any such projects will be vested;
• Other activities as deemed appropriate by members of the network, such as advocacy or policy strategies.
Individual members of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection will be appointed to chair meetings and take minutes of all meetings. Responsibility for chairing meetings and minute-taking will be rotated among all members who attend meetings of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection.
LGBTQ Parenting Connection Website
The LGBTQ Parenting Connection will maintain a public website aimed at providing comprehensive information related to LGBTQ-led families. This website will provide information for LGBTQ-led families, as well as service providers, educators, researchers, members of the media, and others concerned with issues related to LGBTQ-led families.
The web address is: lgbtqparentingconnection.ca
Sherbourne Health Centre will have fiscal and legal responsibility for the development and maintenance of the LGBTQ Parenting Connection website. Responsibility for website content will lie jointly with the coordinators of the LGBTQ Parenting Network (Sherbourne Health Centre) and Queer Parenting Programs (The 519 Community Centre).
