LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week aims to inspire the LGBTQ+ community to explore adoption and fostering as routes to building their family.
This year’s campaign ‘Now’s the time’, led by charity New Family Social, brings together adoption and fostering agencies from across the country and aims to challenge myths and build confidence across the LGBTQ+ community.
Councillor Victoria Aitken, East Riding’s cabinet member for children, families and education said:
“One in five adopters identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Adoption families and foster families come in all shapes, sizes, ages and can include single people as well as couples. There is no ‘ideal’ type of adoption or foster family, everyone is unique and brings their own individual experience and abilities. The most important attributes are having time, patience, a sense of humour and the ability to love.
“This week provides a chance to celebrate the diversity within the adoption and fostering communities and also encourage people to take the opportunity to find out more and start their adoption or fostering journeys… Now’s the time!”
Justin and Robert are foster carers with East Riding Fostering. They said:
“We thought we could help others, but we did wonder, are we right for it? After finding out a bit more, we thought we could be quite good at fostering.
“You soon realise through the process that every child is different. East Riding have always been there for us, and someone is always there to help.
“It’s so rewarding and just a bit of love can change a child’s life.”
Fostering comes in many forms, and every type plays a vital role in supporting children who need safety, stability, and care. From offering emergency support for just a few nights, to short break fostering, to caring for a child while long‑term plans are made, and even providing a home throughout their journey into adulthood, there is a type of fostering to suit a wide range of families and lifestyles.
People who foster for East Riding of Yorkshire Council receive comprehensive support including their own dedicated social worker to provide practical and emotional support, training and regular free social events. There are also local support groups available for foster carers to attend and help for existing children in the family to adapt to fostering.
There are a series of upcoming online events for people to find out more about fostering with East Riding Fostering:
Thursday 2 April, 7-8pm
Thursday 14 May, 7-8pm
Friday 22 May, 7-8pm
Find out more or register for an event: eryc.link/fosteringevents
Contact East Riding Fostering for a friendly, informal chat or to request an information booklet on: (01482) 394095, or via email: fosteringrecruitment@eastriding.gov.uk or follow East Riding Fostering on Facebook.
One Adoption North and Humber is a regional adoption agency providing adoption services for five local councils across the North and Humber region: East Riding, Hull, North East Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and York.
There are currently more than 50 children waiting for safe, permanent and loving families across the North and Humber area.
LGBTQ+ people can adopt and are welcomed and needed. Sexual orientation or gender identity is never a barrier, and adopters can be any age, but must be at least 21 years old.
One Adoption is hosting three information events in March:
Online lunchtime Adoption Q&A, Wednesday 4 March, 12-1pm
In-person event in Settle, North Yorkshire, Thursday 12 March, 5.30-7pm
Online adoption information event, Wednesday 18 March, 6-7pm
Places can be booked on the One Adoption website at: www.oneadoption.co.uk/information-events
