Adoption, why not you?

After completing their family with a baby boy, Iain and Andrew are encouraging other same sex couples to look into adoption this LGBT+ Adoption and Fostering Week (2 - 8 March).

Iain (38) and Andrew (36) adopted their son through Together for Adoption around 18 months ago after having wanted a child for a long time.

The theme of LGBT+ Adoption and Fostering week is ‘Why not you?’, which is designed to tackle some of the ongoing misconceptions that could deter LGBT+ people from exploring the options around starting a family.

Iain said: “We didn’t have any pre-conceptions about adoption but what we have noticed is that some of our LGBT+ friends don’t even think about adoption as a possibility.

“It’s only when some of our friends see us with our son that you can see the cogs turning and they realise that this could be a reality for them too.

“Some people come over to Andrew and I and tell us what a great job we are doing when we’re out as a family, so we’re educating people without even knowing it.”

Iain and Andrew were keen to adopt a young baby so they could bring them up, teaching important values and life lessons from an early age.

They were keen to proceed with Together for Adoption after speaking with the team and realising the wealth of support the local authority led agency provides.

Andrew has even accessed various training opportunities through Together for Adoption, including supporting children on the internet and different father’s groups so the pair can be prepared as their son grows older.

Iain added: “We were impressed by Together for Adoption’s support offer – we’ve found the training really useful and we’re still in touch with the agency all these months later.

“Speaking with Together for Adoption felt like we were speaking with friends, they understood what we were looking for and always had the child’s best interests at heart.

“Since our son came to live with us, we’ve been trying to teach him loving family values, the importance of aspirations and being loyal and how to be trusting. These are lessons we will continue to instil as our family moves forward.”

Together for Adoption brings together the adoption services of Cheshire West and Chester Council, Halton Borough Council, St. Helens Council, Warrington Borough Council and Wigan Council.

Councillor Bob Cernik, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “LGBT+ Adoption and Fostering week provides us with a great opportunity to remind our residents that our regional adoption agency welcome applications from members of our LGBT+ community.

“We’re continuing to look for people to provide children in our area with a safe and secure forever home. Sometimes people rule themselves out before they’ve talked to our adoption service, when they could be an ideal family to provide a loving home for a child in need.”

Councillor Margaret Parker, the Cheshire West and Chester Council’s representative for Together for Adoption, said: “Adoption can be a great way for members of our LGBT+ community to start a family and help provide a local child with a stable and secure home. I would urge anyone considering adopting to get in touch with Together for Adoption today to find out how to apply and about the excellent support provided during the application process and once you adopt a child.”

“The monthly drop-in and evening information sessions organised by the team, across the wider region, are a great way of finding out more information about adoption.  Some of our approved adopters regularly attend the evening events to share their experience and provide a real insight into the adoption process and support provided to our adoptive families.”

Together for Adoption was developed following government changes announced in 2015 to the way adoption services operate by directing they be run on a regional basis by 2020.

For more information, head to one of the Together for Adoption drop-in events which run every Monday to Thursday the first week of every month at Bewsey Park Community Centre, Troutbeck Avenue, Warrington, WA5 0BA, 1pm-2pm.

For dates of future evening information events visit: www.togetherforadoption.co.uk