Welcoming Foster Carers from the LGBTQ+ Community
Can LGBTQ+ people foster?
Absolutely! Sexuality or gender identity has no impact on your eligibility to be a Foster Carer. What is important is that you can provide a young person with a safe, loving and stable home. At Fostering West Sussex, we’re proud to support LGBTQ+ Foster Carers and would encourage you to get in touch to find out more information about fostering with us!
Can I foster if I am single?
Yes – you don’t need to be in a relationship to be a Foster Carer. Indeed, we have some brilliant single Foster Carers doing an amazing job looking after the children and young people in their care.
Jo, one of our single Supported Lodgings hostssaid, “Caring for a young person was always something I was interested in. Being LGBTQ, and knowing some of the difficulties around that, I thought the experiences and contacts I have would be really helpful to an LGBTQ young person”.
Why should you become a Foster Carer?
The children we care for are incredibly diverse, which is why it’s so important to us to ensure that the carers supporting them have an equally diverse wealth of perspectives and experiences to draw on. As an LGBTQ+ person, your resilience and understanding of the importance of identity can play a significant role in helping a child feel a sense of acceptance and belonging.
Mark, one of our amazing LGBTQ+ Foster Carers has shared: “For us it was a perfect way to give a safe and loving home to a child who needed it, rather than going down the surrogacy route and bringing a new child into the world. Especially when there are so many out there already who need to be cared for. There is a huge amount of support provided throughout the whole process by WSCC. You are never alone and, once you begin fostering, you will soon find your own support network which predominately is made up of other Foster Carers who are always there to offer support and advice.”
Need support from the LGBTQ+ fostering community?
Fostering West Sussex is proud to have membership of New Family Social, an LGBTQ+ Fostering and Adoption charity. This means that Foster Carers can apply for free Gold membership, giving you access to a wealth of specialist support and a calendar of events. New Family Social offers:
- Events, conferences, and social gatherings (including a summer camp) enable LGBTQ+ individuals to network, forge connections and build long-lasting relationships with like-minded people.
- Support from professionals and LGBTQ+ peers who understand the challenges for Foster Carers, providing a safe space to share stories and seek advice.
- Access to webinars and presentations covering parenting techniques, trauma, and more…
- The opportunity to participate in advocacy initiatives to promote equality and inclusivity. Join campaigns and help pave the way for future generations of LGBTQ+ individuals aspiring to build their families through fostering and adoption.
To find out more information about what New Family Social provides, visit their website here.
Become an LGBTQ+ Foster Carer
Becoming a Foster Carer is a rewarding and life-changing experience for both you and the children you welcome into your home, whether you’re gay, straight, married or single. If you’re interested in opening your heart and home to a child, please contact our friendly Fostering Recruitment team for an initial chat, via our online enquiry form or by calling 0330 222 7775. You can also find out if you’re eligible to foster by taking our ‘Can I Foster?’ quiz!
