The campaign, run by New Family Social, the UK peer support charity for LGBTQ+ adopters & foster carers, encourages more LGBTQ+ people to consider both routes to parenting and caring started in 2012.
LGBTQ+ adopters and foster carers created the campaign to raise awareness and drive change, following statistics ten years ago showing that 1 in 31 adoptions in England were to same sex couples. In 2021, the figure stood at 1 in 6.
This year’s campaign theme is #BeTheChange which asks LGBTQ+ people to think about the range of vulnerable children they could parent or care for who are waiting right now.
Leading children’s charity and one of the largest voluntary adoption agencies in the UK, Adoption Matters, based in Warrington are proud members of New Family Social and welcome enquiries from the LGBTQ+ community this week and every week.
Adoption Matters Chief Executive, Susy White says: “We know from experience that LGBTQ+ people often come to adoption with an open mind and resilience that children who have spent time in care really need.
You can be single, over 50 and you don’t need to own your own home to consider adoption. We need people with stability, love and resourcefulness who can help a child with whatever needs they may have.
We offer ongoing support and training to all our families and our Centre for Adoption Support offer a LGBTQ+ adopter support group and were delighted to be recognised by New Family Social last year.”
Following public nominations and a judging panel held in September 2021, Adoption Matters received commended agency status for 2021 by New Family Social’s LGBTQ+ adopter and foster carer members.
To find out more information and meet some of the Adoption Matters team and hear from an LGBTQ+ adopter, the charity is holding an online adoption information event on Thursday 17 March at 9:30am. To register a place visit: www.adoptionmatters.org/events
If you can’t make the event, don’t worry we hold them every fortnight and you can download an adoption information pack from the website visit www.adoptionmatters.org/proud
