LGBT+ community invited to discover more about fostering and adopting in Leeds

LGBT community invited to discover more about fostering and adopting in Leeds

People in Leeds who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) are being invited to find out more about fostering or adopting a child through Leeds City Council and One Adoption West Yorkshire.

An information evening has been organised at the Cosmopolitan Hotel on Briggate, on Saturday 10 March from 1-4pm, as part of the national LGBT fostering and adoption week, which runs from 5-11 March, organised by New Family Social.

The event will allow people to come along and talk to friendly professional staff to find out more about adoption and fostering, the assessment process, what types of children the council is currently looking for homes for and what requirements are needed. Because this event has been organised especially for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, the experts on hand will be able to answer any specific concerns or questions they may have.

As well as hearing from fostering and adoption experts, there will be information stalls and adoptive parents and foster parents present as well as a children’s social worker and adoption and fostering social workers.

Councillor Lisa Mulherin executive board member for children and families said:

“Our ambition is for Leeds to be child friendly; the best city to study, work, play and grow up in. Our adoptive parents and foster carers perform a vital role in fulfilling this vision and we have one of the most established and successful adoption and foster care services in the UK.

“People can be great adoptive parents or foster carers, regardless of their sexuality, marital status or religion. Adopting or fostering a child is an exciting, challenging and life changing experience for everyone involved and we can offer support every step of the way.”

Sarah Johal from One Adoption, West Yorkshire said:

“We provide adoption services on behalf of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield local authorities and we want every child to have a family to grow up in. We are actively asking the LGBT community to help us achieve this as we currently have children waiting for adoption in the region.”

There is no such thing as a typical foster carer or adopter; people can be any sexuality, they can be single, married, divorced, employed, unemployed, with or without children of their own. Leeds City Council welcomes people from diverse backgrounds and ethnic origins that can help children live and share their own culture, language, religion and live a happy fulfilled life.

People who already adopt and foster for Leeds City Council are sharing their experiences at: www.oneadoption.co.uk and www.foster4leeds.co.uk. You can also ring the teams on 0113 378 3535 (adoption) and 0113 378 3538 (fostering.)