Diagrama urges LGBT community to consider adoption and fostering

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Diagrama Foundation is urging members of the LGBT community to help offer a brighter future for a vulnerable child through fostering or adoption.

To mark the start of LGBT Adoption and Fostering week, which begins today and runs until March 12, Diagrama’s Fostering and Adoption services are holding a series of information events to encourage more people to offer a loving home to a child in care.

There are currently around 70,000 children in care in England. Of those, approximately 4,000 are awaiting adoption. Research by the Fostering Network.

All Diagrama’s LGBT adopters and foster carers receive free membership to New Family Social and access to a wide range of specialised support services.

There are two information events this week in Brighton and the team will also be attending a dedicated LGBT Week event in London on Friday. A third information event will be held at the Diagrama Fostering and Adoption service offices in Croydon next week.

To help encourage more people to consider adoption, Diagrama adopters Rachel and Annie have also shared their experience in an emotional blog post detailing their adoption journey.

Diagrama strives to find secure, stable and loving homes for children considered ‘harder to place’ – and likely to have been waiting the longest. They could be older children (age 4+), siblings, children with minority ethnic heritage or children with a disability.

Our fostering and adoption services provide professional and comprehensive support, every step of the way, enabling ordinary people to make an extraordinary difference to a child’s life.

Gunter Becht, adoption manager, said: “LGBT Adoption and Fostering Week is a major event on our calendar and we are proud to support it. Our LGBT adopters are only too happy to share their experiences with anyone interested in adopting a child and they often attend our information events.”

Catherine Moore, fostering manager said: “Becoming a foster carer is challenging but extremely rewarding. Our foster carers receive an excellent support package – we’re there for them every step of the way, 24/7. We welcome all enquiries and urgently need more foster carers to meet the high demand. We’re particularly keen to hear from anyone able to foster more than one child – this helps prevent brothers and sisters from being split up at a critical time in their lives.”

Diagrama’s information events planned for LGBT Adoption and Fostering week include:

March 9: Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YD.
Fostering information from 12.30-2.30pm.  Adoption information - from 6.30-8pm

March 10: LGBT Week Adoption and Fostering seminar - Goldman Sachs International, River Court, 120 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2BE. Diagrama Fostering and Adoption has a stand at this event where you can meet members of our fostering and adoption team.  Entry is free but registration is required via Eventbrite.

March 15: Adoption information event. Diagrama Offices, Airport House, Purley Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 0XZ - from 6.30-8pm

If you are interested in fostering or adoption, contact us on 0800 802 1910 or email fostering@diagrama.org. You can submit an enquiry form here.