Caring FAMILIES
THE HOMEFINDING & FOSTERING AGENCY ARE THE EXPERTS IN FOSTERING AND RECOGNISE THAT LGBT PEOPLE MAKE EXCELLENT FOSTER CARERS
Research published by the University of Cambridge in 2013 demonstrated that outcomes for children raised in LGBT families were the same as, and in some cases, better, for those children raised in heterosexual families. At that time our Director of Operations, Satwinder Sandhu, who is himself gay, was working with PACT (Parents And Children Together). Between 2011 and 2014 he led a successful campaign of change within the organisation that saw applications to foster and adopt rise from 0% to over 13%. A wellestablished supporter of New Family Social before the organisation went mainstream, he believed firmly that lesbian and gay people were able to make great foster carers and adopters and he was proved right. Before he left PACT in 2014 he opened the UK’s first LGBT dedicated adoption service in Brighton. We feel lucky that he brought his passion, expertise and experience with him to The Homefinding & Fostering Agency.
We are seeking LGBT foster carers in London and the South-East with a view to achieving some of the results that Satwinder saw at PACT. We know that at present we’re only able to help a fraction of the 400 or so children and young people referred to our agency each month and we want to do more.
Despite the changes in law giving LGBT people equal rights in society, myths and prejudice still prevail and many people we talk to are under the impression that they cannot apply to foster or that they will face discrimination at all stages of the process. We’re 100% confident that no LGBT applicants would have a negative experience at The Homefinding & Fostering Agency. You can be single, in a couple, young or old. You just need to have the time, space (a spare room usually) and passion to care for children. Fostering is different to adoption because there is no legal relationship between you and the child, but many children are placed on a permanent basis.
Inevitably some of the young people we need families for have issues around their own sexuality so our view is what better environment for them to grow up in than a LGBT family.
We are renowned for the support we offer our foster carers 24 hours a day, as well as the expert and accredited training and generous allowances to cover expenses.
With Satwinder at the helm we are committed to becoming the first choice agency for LGBT foster carer applicants and we invite you to be part of that success. Unlike local authority fostering services we are not stretched for resources, and fostering is all we do, so we really are the experts. With the continuing decline in numbers of children being placed for adoption there has never been a better time to consider fostering as a route to parenthood.
Satwinder’s message to those considering taking the first steps is: “I welcome you wholeheartedly to consider applying to foster with us. Our whole approach is to support LGBT applicants through the process without discrimination or delay and then work with our local authority partners to find you the right child for your family. The support never ends. I know from first-hand experience that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people make excellent parents because often they’ve had to navigate a difficult childhood themselves. That can be a positive as it can help develop one of the most crucial qualities foster carers need, and that’s empathy. So, if you simply want a no-strings chat with me or Lisa, our Recruitment Officer and one of our foster carers, please do get in touch. You can also speak to Claire, our Placements Officer whose job it is to match children and young people with foster carers, to get a sense of the children who may be right for your family. We’re here and waiting so please make that call. You’ll never regret it if you choose us and you’ll help improve life chances for children and young people who are depending on you.”
“We are renowned for the support we offer our foster carers 24 hours a day, as well as
the expert and accredited training and generous allowances to
cover expenses”
To find out more and to make contact go to our website www. homefindingandfostering. co. uk