Mythbusting common fostering concerns for LGBTQ+ people
Here at the Together Trust, we are proud to support LGBTQ+ individuals and couples wanting to foster. We are a New Family Social member and take pride in making sure every individual or family going through the fostering process with us is treated equally and with respect.
If you’re still having doubts about whether you’d be a good fit for fostering because of your identity, have a look at a couple of common fostering myths we debunked below.
"I can’t foster as a gay or bisexual person”
Yes, you can. Your sexual orientation is not a deciding factor in whether you can be a foster carer. Finding the right carers for each child or young person is a priority for us, so the most important thing is that you’re passionate about providing a stable and nurturing home for the young people in your care.
"I won’t be able to foster because I am trans”
Yes, you can! Being transgender (and your gender in general) will not determine whether or not you are eligible to foster.
“Only couples can foster”
You can be a foster carer if you are single. Being in a couple is not a requirement for becoming a foster carer.
Our fostering family includes foster carers with a wide range of experiences and situations, including a number of single carers. The important factor is that you have a network to support you, like friends and family.
“I am too old to foster”
There is no upper age limit for fostering, but you do need to be at least 21 years old.
Foster carers need to have reasonable health and a positive outlook. The assessment will look at your individual skills and experiences.
But it’s not all about myths and misconceptions. Fostering is a major step and a big change in your life. We understand that you want to make sure it would be a fit for you. We addressed some common concerns below:
What if the child I foster disapproves of my sexual orientation or gender?
Before any child comes to live with you we ask for as much information as possible in relation to the child. Everyone who is involved in decision-making about children’s lives wants this to be a safe, positive and meaningful experience for the child and the family. We wouldn’t want to cause any distress or negative experiences for either the young person or the foster carer, so we will try to avoid a situation like this as much as possible.
Our teams are here to support you throughout the whole process. You can always get in touch to talk about any concerns you may have.
I’m recently divorced – can I still foster?
Yes, you can foster as a single parent as long as you are financially and emotionally stable to take care of a young person.
Your divorce will be explored during your application, and we will need to contact your ex-partner. This is part of the assessment to ask if they have any concerns about your suitability to foster.
Please do not worry, as we do realise that not all relationships end amicably, we will take this into consideration. If you are concerned about it, please discuss it with the social worker who visits you at home.
Is there the right kind of support to address my experience as a queer foster carer?
We offer tailored support to you and your situation – and that includes being queer. We work with hundreds of foster carers, including several other queer people and couples.
Becoming one of our foster carers means entering a big community that you can reach out to. Lee and his partner, one of our same-sex couples, talk more about the support they received from our other foster carers in a recent case study.
With Foster Together, we’ve worked hard to build a connected fostering family where staff, carers and families can support each other.
In fact, our level of training, support and friendly community mean some of our foster carers have been with us for over 20 years.
Learn more about fostering here or click here to make an enquiry and kickstart your fostering journey.