It’s LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week (4-10 March 2024) and we wanted to remind everyone that people from a range of different backgrounds can foster or adopt.

LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week is an annual campaign led by the national charity New Family Social and the Council is also working in partnership with Adopt South-West.

This year’s theme, ‘Different Together’, calls on more LGBTQ+ people to consider adoption and fostering, while also encouraging more LGBTQ+ people to consider both routes to forming their families. Looked after children from minoritised ethnic groups can wait the longest for suitable adoption and fostering placements.

Councillor Nick Bye, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “We are pleased to be able to support LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week and celebrate our diverse local families.

“Providing a safe and loving foster or adoptive home, is one of the best gifts you can give to a cared for child, but many of our local foster carers have also described fostering as a privilege.

“We want to use this week as an opportunity to remind people that if you want to foster or adopt you can be from any background, gender or sexual orientation. You can also foster if you are single as long as you have stable accommodation.”

Matthew from Devon who adopted a little boy with help from Adopt South West, said: “My husband and I started our adoption story 16 months ago, we started off thinking about fostering but decided to adopt. The process was easy and the training courses were eye-opening. We attended the webinars and decided to use the other resources that were available.

“The matching process was the hardest. We put ourselves forward for a few children but then we trusted our social worker and he found us our little boy. We couldn’t have been matched more perfectly. He is a joy, and very active and sociable. He has gained in confidence.

“We are a family now, something we never knew we needed until now.”

You can read Matthew’s full story on the Adopt South West website.

Amanda White, Interim Head of Adopt South West, said: “We welcome LGBTQ+ adopters in the South West. Our experience tells us that children thrive in LGBTQ+ families and at Adopt South West we have some great LGBTQ+ parents, and with great parents come great families for our children.

“If you’ve been thinking about adopting, on your own, or with your partner, then we’d love to hear from you and look forward to welcoming more people into our Adopt South-West family.”

Key Facts

• one in five adoptions were to same-sex couples. With 600 out of 2,960 adoptions being to same-sex couples – this was the highest number on record in England and was also the highest proportion.
• In 2023, there were 83,840 looked-after children in England. This was an increase from 2022.
• In Torbay, the Fostering service is run by Torbay Council’s Children’s Services, while Adoption services are managed regionally by Adopt South-West.

Find out about Fostering

For more information on fostering call 01803 207845 or visit our Fostering webpages.

You can find out more about upcoming events in Torbay that the Fostering team are attending on our Fostering Events page.

Sign up for free online LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week events

Would you like to find out more about Fostering with Torbay Council?

It’s LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week (4 – 10 March) and we wanted to highlight the fact that Foster Carers can be from a range of diverse backgrounds so if you are thinking about it then please get in touch!

LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week is an annual awareness week run by the charity New Family Social and we are promoting it in partnership with them and Adopt South West.

Torbay Council runs its own Fostering service and we are holding online Fostering Information sessions on the following dates via Teams where you can find out more. If you would like to book onto a session please email fostering@torbay.gov.uk or contact us on 01803 207845.

• Monday 4th March 4pm – 5pm                 via MS Teams
• Tuesday 5th March 5.30pm – 6.30pm       via MS Teams
• Thursday 7th March 5.30pm – 6.30pm     via MS Teams

In terms of adoption, you can find out more about that from Adopt South West – call 0345 155 1076, email adoptsouthwest@devon.gov.uk

Find out about Adoption

In Torbay and across the rest of Devon, Adoption is managed through Adopt South West. For more information call Adopt South West on 0345 155 1076, email adoptsouthwest@devon.gov.uk or visit the Adopt South West website.

More information on New Family Social

New Family Social is a national charity led by LGBTQ+ adopters and foster carers. You can find out more on their website.