Adoption@Heart, the Regional Adoption Agency for the Black Country, is supporting a new campaign, launched today (Monday 6 March), asking more LGBTQ+ people to consider adopting a child this LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week.
The 2023 awareness week, led by UK charity New Family Social, is also asking potential applicants to think about the number of vulnerable children they could parent or care for.
The latest estimates in England show that four in 10 children with a sibling are separated from their sibling when placed in care.
The need for more LGBTQ+ applicants to explore adoption and fostering is as great as ever. In England in 2022, there were some 82,170 looked-after children. Despite strong numbers of LGBTQ+ people adopting, the number of looked-after children grew by two per cent from the previous year.
Lisa Preston, Head of Service at Adoption@Heart, said: “We are proud to be members of New Family Social and to be supporting the 2023 campaign to encourage more LGBTQ+ people to come forward and find out more about adoption – and potentially whether they could consider adopting siblings.
“Adopters come from all walks of life and all applications are welcome and will be treated equally.
“Adoption@Heart will always encourage enquiries from LGBTQ+ people - if you're interested in finding out more or feel ready to start your adoption journey, get in touch with us today.”
Tor Docherty, New Family Social Chief Executive said: ‘We hope LGBTQ+ potential applicants will think about the number of children they could care for. Some children need to be cared for by themselves. Others will thrive if they can live with their siblings. In adoption and fostering the needs of the child and children must remain paramount – for some siblings this means staying together.’
Many people can adopt, whether they are single, living together, married, a same sex couple, in employment or not working, or already have children or not. Potential adopters must legally be a UK resident and have been so for at least 12 months, as well as being aged 21 or over. There is no upper age limit.
The Adoption and Children Act 2002 gave unmarried couples, including same sex couples, the right to adopt. It became law in December 2005. LGBTQ+ couples don’t need to be in a civil partnership or married to adopt and single adopters are also welcome, whatever their gender or sexual orientation.
The 2023 campaign is supported by some 100 adoption and fostering agencies across the UK. It’s the only campaign to solely focus on LGBTQ+ potential applicants.
Running since 2012, the campaign has seen the number of adoptions in England to same gender couples grow from one in 31 to one in six in 2022.
For more information on LGBTQ+ Adoption & Fostering Week visit www.newfamilysocial.org.uk/afw23
Adoption@Heart, which works in partnership with City of Wolverhampton Council, Dudley Council, Sandwell Children’s Trust and Walsall Council, holds regular information events both online and in person - these are the perfect place for those who are ready to start their adoption journey or would like more information.
For future event dates and details on how to book your place via Eventbrite, please visit www.adoptionatheart.org.uk/events
For more information on LGBTQ+ adoption, visit www.adoptionatheart.org.uk/how-to-adopt/LGBTQ+.html, call 01902 55 3818 or email info@adoptionatheart.org.uk
