LGBT+ fostering and adoption

Fostering with pride

It’s your personal qualities and what you can offer that will make you a great foster parent, not your gender or sexual orientation. 

Regardless of how you identify, if you’re a caring person who wants to provide a stable and safe place for a child or young person, we’d love to hear from you. 

We know that becoming a foster parent can be a big decision, and you might be asking if you’d make a good carer. Don’t worry, it’s normal.   

We are here to help you every step of the way and are proud to have a wonderfully diverse community of foster carers. 

Find out more about the training and support we offer for fostering here.  

The joys of adopting  

Imagine dreaming about having a family and the joy of finally receiving the news that you’ll be adopted. You could be that person bringing happiness and stability to a child’s life.  

Adoption brings so much joy to the children and the adopters we support. Whether you have always been interested in adopting, or have just started to think about it, we are here to help every step of the way. 

Same-sex couples have had the right to adopt in the United Kingdom since 2002, following the Adoption and Children Act 2002. Since then, the number of children adopted by lesbian, gay, bi or trans parents has grown year on year.   

When LGBT+ Fostering and Adoption week started in 2012, just 1 in 22 adoptions were to same-sex couples. *The latest figures published by the English government’s Department for Education show that 1 in 6 adoptions in 2020 were to same-sex couples, which was the highest proportion since records began. 

From starting you off on your adoption journey to sharing other experiences from LGBT+ parents who have adopted with us, we are here to answer your questions and show the support available to you. 

Find out more about the training and support we offer for adopting here. 

Support for LGBT+ adopters and foster parents

We know how important reliable support networks are for all families, including when you adopt or foster. 

That’s why we are a member of New Family Social Network, a UK wide network helping build strong and happy LGBT+ adoptive and foster families. 

When you foster with us as an LGBT+ person, you become a member of the New Family Social Network, which gives you access to dedicated online forums and a wealth of events held across the country.  

We also have dedicated support for fostering and adoption which you can find below. 

• fostering support available to you
• adoption support available to you