LGBT+ A&F Week – 2022 #BeTheChange

On Monday 7 March, LGBT+ Adoption and Fostering Week begins, and Buckinghamshire Council is using this campaign to highlight children and young people who have thrived when fostered or adopted by LGBT+ people.

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking people from all kinds of backgrounds to come forward to care for children who need a loving and safe home. You can build a family through adoption or fostering, no matter what your sexual orientation, relationship status, faith or ethnicity.

A gay couple adopted a 4-year-old boy through Buckinghamshire Council. As part of LGBT+ Adoption and Fostering week, they’ve shared their story and want people to know how LGBT+ adopters and carers are uniquely placed to help children to navigate their identities:

“We started our adoption journey in May 2020 and were placed with our 4-year-old son in August 2021. Typical of any 4-year-old, Leo* has boundless energy and a very enquiring mind and along with all the fun and love we have for him makes us very proud parents.

“Throughout that time, we were skilfully guided through the various stages by everyone within the Adoption Team at Buckinghamshire Council. We were incredibly lucky to have such experienced social workers, all of whom have been only too willing to assist where they can.

“We both really enjoyed the process, and this is a testament to the engagement and dedication within the team. We particularly found the training sessions informative and guided by real life examples. As we moved from prospective adopters to parents, we found the grounding that we were given made us prepared for the reality of parenting an adopted child.

“As Leo had just turned 4 years old when he was placed with us, we were conscious that we wanted to represent his life story in an open and honest way. Again, our support from the Bucks team has been invaluable as it gave us the grounding and confidence to engage directly with him. The journey hasn’t been without hiccups along the way, but we always felt supported from the moment we started the process to the ongoing engagement we have had since placement.”

Anita Cranmer is Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at Buckinghamshire Council. She said:

“In our experience, LGBT+ people are often open to fostering or adopting children that take longer to place, such as children with additional needs, brothers and sisters and older children.

“We’re really proud that we’ve already worked with a number of LGBT+ adopters and foster carers. In Buckinghamshire, 1 in 6 children are adopted by LGBT+ people.

“As long as you have a spare room and the ability to provide a safe and caring environment then we welcome your interest in fostering or adopting through us.

“We celebrate diversity at Buckinghamshire Council so please, start your journey today and start it with us – the rewards are huge, and you’ll join a friendly and welcoming community too.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about fostering and adoption, please visit Buckinghamshire Council’s website: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/lgbt-week

*Name changed to protect identity.