LGBT Adoption & Fostering Week 6 - 12 March 2017 www. newfamilysocial LGBT Adoption & Fostering Week 6 - 12 March 2017 www.newfamilysocial.org.uk

Adoption & Fostering Pre 2006 LGBT people were only able to adopt or foster as individuals 2006 – law changes; unmarried couples can now adopt or foster jointly 2016 – 1 in 10 adoptions in England to same-sex couples New Family Social is the UK charity for LGBT adopters and foster carers, and we would like to thank you for coming to this event as part of LGBT Adoption and Fostering Week 2017. A little history: LGBT people have been adopting and fostering for many years, as individuals. A change came in 2006 allowing unmarried couples, including same-sex couples, to adopt jointly in England and Wales. (Scotland 2009 & Northern Ireland 2013) In 2016, 1 in 10 adoptions in England were to same-sex couples. In Wales, 1 in 17 adoptions were to same-sex couples. In Scotland – where statistics are published later – 1 in 23 adoptions were to same-sex couples in 2015. It is estimated that there are anywhere between about 1 million and 3.6 million LGBT people in the UK! (Different surveys give different results)

Why LGBT Families? Cambridge University Study, said LGBT strengths include: Often come to adoption/fostering as first choice The stability of LGBT relationships & adopters’ ability to work together as couples The ability to support a child growing up with a sense of difference It hasn’t always been the case, but today there is a real confidence from agencies in placing children with LGBT families. LGBT adopters’ life experiences and their route to adoption or fostering often equips them very well for the job in hand. Some of these strengths have been highlighted by social workers in a recent study by Cambridge University. They include: Often coming to adoption or fostering as a first choice, with energy and enthusiasm The stability of LGBT adopters’ relationships and their ability to work together as couples The ability to support a child growing up with a sense of difference Links: http://www.baaf.org.uk/bookshop/gay-lesbian-and-heterosexual-adoptive-families

New Family Social Founded in 2007 Run by LGBT adopters & foster carers Support network at all stages of the process 3,000 LGBT members www.newfamilysocial.org.uk Soon after the law changed in 2006, a group of LGBT adopters and foster carers decided to get together to create New Family Social The main goals of NFS were (and still are) to: Help LGBT adopters and foster carers to find each other and share support Give others the confidence to consider adoption New Family Social’s mission is to provide prospective and existing adopters and foster carers with support, information and a strong voice, and to promote LGBT families. We have over 3,000 LGBT members, made up of families and families-to-be from all over the UK. We are proud of the diversity of our members. Links: NFS website: newfamilysocial.co.uk Donate to NFS: http://www.newfamilysocial.org.uk/help-us/

What NFS does Virtual & actual support network Over 150 member events last year Promotes awareness & understanding of LGBT families Provides online resources Advises on policy changes to improve fairness & wellbeing of LGBT families NFS provides a virtual and actual support network for people at all stages of their adoption or fostering journeys: For prospective adopters and foster carers - a chance to talk to others who are further on in their journey, for information, advice and encouragement. For those going through the process – to share experiences, ask advice, and create friendships & support networks. It can be a bumpy ride, and is much easier when you do it with friends. For our children – making friends with other children with similar families is an important boost to their confidence and resilience. All of this happens both online, and at our informal regional meet-ups all over the UK. NFS held 150 events across the UK last year run by our members, including a 4 day family camp, with over 250 people from our group attending. We provide online resources for members and agencies. We advise on policy changes that can improve fairness and wellbeing of LGBT families Links: Joining NFS: https://www.newfamilysocial.org.uk NFS Summer camp:

Next Steps Find out more about adoption & fostering Join New Family Social www.newfamilysocial.org.uk Do as much research as you can about adoption. It can seem rather overwhelming and complicated at first. Much has been done to make the process more straightforward in recent years. However, it can feel like a bit of a minefield when you first set out. You can join New Family Social right now, at the very start of your journey. Via the website you will be able to access information and forums to be able to share advice and support online. Go to the ‘join-us’ page on our website and follow the instructions. Some agencies fund membership of New Family Social for their adopters and foster carers so if you have already started the process it’s worth checking if your agency subscribes to us, in which case your membership is already covered. Otherwise, you can sign up for your own membership. Once you are in the process of adoption and your agency have confirmed this with NFS, you can use additional forums, and can find out more about other members near you. Once you are approved and looking for a match with the right child or children, you will be given access to children’s profiles in our family finding section. If you are transgender you may be looking for specific advice, you will be able to connect with a small number of other trans members in a private forum, in addition to the main forum. Links: To join NFS: Feedback from our members: Agencies which provide membership of NFS: tinyurl.com/24e36jm

Contact Us T: 0843 2899 457 www.newfamilysocial.org.uk E: enquiries@newfamilysocial.org.uk www.newfamilysocial.org.uk @lgbtadoptfoster facebook.com/newfamilysocial Help support NFS New Family Social created and organised LGBT Adoption & Fostering Week. NFS is a small charity, and every pound helps. If you would like to support us, please visit our website to join and/or give a donation