The campaign, run by the charity New Family Social, is a chance to recognise the vital contribution made by LGBT+ adopters, who according to the latest official figures, now make up 1 in 7 adoptions in England – a record high.*
Coram, which leads London’s first Regional Adoption Agency, Coram Ambitious for Adoption in partnership with local authorities across the capital, has supported LGBT+ people to adopt for many years. In 2018-19, over a fifth (21%) of children placed for adoption through Coram were matched and placed with same-sex couples.
With over 300 children in London awaiting loving adoptive families**, Coram is urging those thinking about adoption this LGBT+ Adoption and Fostering Week to take their first step by making an enquiry or coming along to one of our free monthly adoption information sessions. The next session takes place on 6 April in central London.
Sue Lowndes, Managing Director of Coram Ambitious for Adoption, said: “We encourage enquiries from single people and couples of all sexual identities and the most important thing is that they are able to provide safe, secure and loving families for vulnerable children.
“Whilst it is encouraging that we are seeing a rise in the number of LGBT+ people coming forward to adopt, more are urgently needed for the hundreds of children in London still waiting. We urge anyone interested this LGBT+ Adoption and Fostering Week and beyond to get in touch to find out more about the process and how we can support you throughout your journey.”
Ben and Adam adopted siblings Lydia and Spencer through Coram in 2016***. They say they would recommend adoption to other LGBT+ people and have given others advice from their own experience, as Ben explains: “Adoption is a very different form of parenting to biological parenting and I think it’s quite hard to understand that before you do it, so we try to explain the realities to anyone considering it.
“We also say make sure you have a good support network and learn all you can about therapeutic parenting … it’s really paying off with our children.”
Ben concludes: “Adopting our children is absolutely, one hundred per cent the best thing we ever did, no doubt about that.”
Useful links
Find out more about our free adoption information events
Read Ben and Adam’s full story
Read our ‘five facts about LGBT Adoption and Fostering’