GAY and transgender people in Warrington are being targeted in a campaign to encourage a diverse range of people to foster or adopt children.
The second annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Adoption and Fostering Week runs until Sunday March 10.
Leading adoption and fostering charities believe LGBT people could help make up the shortfall of foster carers and adoptive parents across the UK. It is estimated that 4,000 children need adopting every year, and an additional 9,000 foster carers must be found.
Figures show that just two per cent of LGBT people come forward to foster or adopt. Warrington Fostering Service is supporting the week and hopes to attract more people from these groups.
Cllr Colin Froggatt, (pictured right) executive board member for children and young people’s services, said: “We are always looking for foster carers from all walks of life to provide much needed homes for Warrington’s children in care.
“We were proud to be part of Warrington’s first Pride event in 2012 and want to encourage more people from the LGBT community to come forward and consider this life changing opportunity.”
Further details about fostering are available by calling 01925 444 100 or visiting www.warrington.gov.uk/fostering
Council seek diverse foster parents
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
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The shortfall in foster parents and adopters is due solely to the hoops that Social Services insist that they jump through. You can’t be a smoker, mustn’t like a drink, can’t work shifts, can’t discipline your foster kids in the same way as your own, have to be willing to take foster kids for access visits to natural parents (who did SO good a job at it they got their kids taken away!) at the drop of a hat, risk having your own kids taken into care if a (possibly disturbed) foster child makes any kind of allegations. Is it any wonder so few people are willing to foster???