New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 18 - DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
Chapter II - Regulations of the Department of Social Services
Subchapter C - Social Services
Article 3 - Child-care Agencies
Part 444 - Host Family Homes
Subpart A - Establishment of Host Family Homes
Section 444.3 - Nondiscriminatory Treatment

(a) An Agency providing a host family home program shall prohibit discrimination and harassment against prospective host family home applicants, host family home caregivers and the child or parents of a child seeking the services of or served by the Agency on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, religion or disability, and shall take reasonable steps to prevent such discrimination or harassment by staff and volunteers, promptly investigate incidents of discrimination and harassment, and take reasonable and appropriate corrective or disciplinary action when such incidents occur.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the term gender identity or expression means having or being perceived as having a gender identity, self-image, appearance, behavior or expression whether or not that gender identity, self-image, appearance, behavior or expression is different from that traditionally associated with the sex assigned to that person at birth. Gender identity refers to a person's internal sense of self as male, female, no gender or another gender, and gender expression refers to the manner in which a person expresses his or her gender through clothing, appearance, behavior, speech, or other means.