LGBT Fostering
A child in need of foster care needs a secure, caring and nurturing environment suited to their unique needs. How they receive that appropriate environment is not down to having a stereotypical 2.4 family with Mum, Dad, a couple of siblings and a pet dog.
LGBT fostering what you need to know
Just in the same way that families come in all different shapes and sizes, children in care come from hugely diverse backgrounds. Enabling a child to feel secure in a foster placement can require us to match them to a family setting which supports their background, experience and unique needs. This means foster carers come from all walks of life, and have a mixture of household dynamics.
The only common element to foster carers is their desire to provide a secure and stable home environment and do the best for the child in their care.
An individual’s sexuality and gender, therefore, should not pose a barrier to becoming a foster carer.
The Rich Tapestry of Family includes LGBT fostering
Furthermore, diversity is actually needed within the foster caring population. The LGBT community has individuals and couples who are ideally suited to foster caring.
Foster carers need to be representative of the community in which they care for children. Our society is made up of a rich tapestry of communities, and the LGBT is just one such community. We need to welcome applications to become foster carers from the full mix of communities so that we can ensure children get the placements most suited to their needs.
However, we do recognise that this may not be the reality that those in the LGBT community face when they seek to become foster carers. In reality, we know that you may have faced prejudice and stigma.
Facing the Challenges of LGBT Fostering
All new and potential foster carers face obstacles and hurdles on their route to caring for children. However, we recognise that foster parents from the LGBT community can face more than others.
Scotland’s Foster Care Community Needs You
We are in desperate need of more foster carers in Scotland. It would be wrong to let stigma prevent us from gaining new foster carers who have a loving and caring home to offer our vulnerable children.
In Scotland, there are currently in excess of 1000 children who are in need of a loving foster home.
Foster care through agencies such as FCA Scotland is inclusive. If you’re over 21, a British citizen or permanent resident, have a room to spare and a desire to make a difference, then foster caring is a career worth considering. Contact a fostering agency near you to find out more about LGBT fostering, or to be put in touch with an existing carer for their story.
LGBT fostering what you need to know is a feature post – you might also enjoy my post on how to encourage sibling love and raising siblings without rivalry