Coming out is hard. But besides that, it’s also freeing, scary, exhilarating, emotional, and one of the most important things we’ll go through as members of the LGBTQ+ community. But there’s one thing that didn’t occur to us after we came out all those years ago…

Yesterday we went out to the river land, and even though it still feels like summer, it was 86 degrees (which is a respite from the 93 degrees it‘s been every day for the past four months), the wind was blowing, and the water wasn’t AS cold as it normally is…

After taking the foster care courses and having our first placement, we’ve realized more than ever the need for this amazing (and sometimes flawed) system. But how can we all help these kiddos more? What can we do that will make a difference? We asked our case worker, Rachel, what she thinks the biggest needs are for the foster care system and how we can all help, and here are her seven suggestions: