CHILDREN’S charity and voluntary adoption agency, Adoption Matters, and its sister not-for-profit fostering service, Foster Care Matters, are proudly supporting LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week 2025.
LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week is led by New Family Social, the UK’s peer-support charity for LGBTQ+ adopters, foster carers and special guardians, and the title of this year’s campaign is the rallying call of ‘Change Lives in 2025’.
In England, there are 83,630 looked-after children, many require a foster home. There are also 2,710 children waiting for their adoptive home.
Change Lives in 2025 emphasised this by sending out an urgent call to those within the LGBTQ+ community who could consider becoming either an adoptive parent or a foster parent.
Last year, 1 in 5 adoptions in the country were to same-gender couples. However, the actual number of adoptions to these couples fell by 40 from 2023.
Although there are no official statistics on the number of LGBTQ+ foster parents, their contributions are more than evident in the lives of the children they care for.
Deb, the Foster Care Matters Recruitment & Family Matching Coordinator, shared her perspective: ” I have spoken with many LGBTQ+ prospective foster parents who have gone on to become incredible short and long-term foster parents.
“The positive impact they have made in the lives of children, including keeping siblings together, has been truly remarkable.
“Additionally, with a number of children identifying as LGBTQ+, having the support of a foster family who can relate to their experiences would be invaluable – I strongly encourage more people to step forward and consider fostering.”
Adoption Matters CEO, Susy White, has emphasised the charity’s support of the campaign: “We know from experience that people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community come forward to adoption and fostering with real enthusiasm.
“In 2024, nearly 30% of our approved adopters as identified as LGBTQ+ and we are so proud to be supporting LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week once again.”
Karen Palfreyman, Foster Care Matters Fostering Service Manager, shared: “Sexuality isn’t an important factor when it comes to fostering or adopting, but what is important is that you have the commitment, resilience, stability and love to provide to children.
We welcome and encourage enquiries from individuals, couples and families from all different communities.”
To mark the start of the week, Foster Care Matters will be hosting an Online Fostering Information Event on Tuesday 4th March at 6:30pm – if you would like to find out more about the fostering agency and the therapeutic approach and support that they offer to our families, visit: www.fostercarematters.org.uk/event/fostering-online-information-event/
If adoption is something you want to find more about, Adoption Matters will be hosting an Online Adoption Information Event on Saturday 8th March at 10:00am – you can sign up to find out more: www.adoptionmatters.org/event/08-march/
