A children’s charity in Aberdeen is having an LGBTQ+ open day to give potential families access to advice and information about the adoption and fostering process.
St Andrew’s Children’s Society, based in Dee Street, wants to invite as many people from the LGBTQ+ community along to speak to its staff to find out how to go about adopting children.
Organisers say they have already successfully placed children into LGBTQ+ communities, and hope that more people will come forward.
Loving families
Tara Macgregor of St Andrew’s Children’s Society, said: “Our hope is that children can be placed into loving families.
“We help people who can’t have children, or have children, and want to adopt or foster.
“Our role is to find adopters and foster carers and help them through the process to be in a position, and approved to be adoptive parents, or foster carers.
“Of course we have to be really careful, as we want the best people for children who are going through this process.”
She continued: “Children who are on the Scotland’s adoption register for adoption are very often children who have experienced a more difficult time that others. ”
Ms Macgregor explained the open day comes as part of the LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week co-ordinated by national organisation New Family Social.
“The LGBTQ+ adopters that we have are fantastic and anyone who comes along to the open day should be assured that we have placed children into LGBTQ+ families before,” she said.
“We want to put people at ease and we will explain the process and answer any questions they might have.”
Long or short term fostering
The society is looking for different types of fostering roles for people including long term, very short term – up to a month, and people who offer respite for children.
She added: “We hope to see anyone with an interest on the day, we have plenty staff on that day and we will have time to speak to everyone who comes along.”
The open day is being held from 11am until 6.30pm on Tuesday March 7.
Conversation