LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week takes place from Monday 2 March to Sunday 8 March and Torbay Council wants to remind everyone that people from a range of different backgrounds can foster or adopt.

The Council has teamed up with national charity New Family Social which heads up LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week, and is also working with Fostering South West, the regional fostering hub made up of 15 councils across the area. Look out for Annette from our Fostering recruitment team who will be appearing in one of New Family Social’s videos this LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week.

Drop in events are also taking place throughout March where you can come along for a coffee and an informal chat to find out about Fostering if you are interested.

Councillor Nick Bye, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services for Torbay, said:  “We are proud that here in Torbay we have a diverse range of families who adopt and foster, and LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week is a great opportunity to encourage more people to come forward.

“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.”

Fostering drop in events taking place throughout March

• Saturday 7 March, 12pm to 2pm: Acorn Youth Community and Sports Centre, Lummaton Cross, Torquay, TQ2 8ET.
• Tuesday 10 March, 11am to 1pm: Torbay Hospital Exhibition Space, Level 4 Entrance, Newton Road, Torquay, TQ2 7AA
• Saturday 14 March, 11am to 1pm: Paignton Library, Great Western Road, Paignton, TQ4 5AG
• Saturday 21 March, 12pm to 2pm: Fermoys Garden Centre, Totnes Road, Newton Abbot, TQ12 5TN
• Wednesday 25 March, 11am to 1pm: Totnes Hospital, Coronation Road, Totnes, TQ9 5GH
• Saturday 28 March, 11am to 1pm: Newton Abbot Library, Passmore Edwards Centre, Market Street, Newton Abbot, TQ12 2RJ

Contact the Fostering service

Don’t worry if you can’t make any of the Fostering drop in events. You can also contact the Fostering service on 01803 207849 or 0300 456 0120 (our usual 01803 207845 phone number is currently out of order), email fostering@torbay.gov.uk or fill out an enquiry form via our Fostering webpages. 

If you Foster with Torbay you will get access to:

• Extensive support and training 
• a dedicated social worker 
• Mentoring from an experienced Foster Carer 
• access to a support network including local quarterly Foster Carers Forum 
• events throughout the year for Fostering families including annual summer barbecue, Train of Lights event and Christmas parties

Local stories

You can hear from a number of our local Foster Carers from a wide range of backgrounds, including the LGBTQ+ community, on our Fostering webpages. 

Introduction to adoption and fostering webinar for LGBTQ+ people

New Family Social is holding an introductory webinar on 03 March into adopting or fostering if you're LGBTQ+ in the UK.

You can sign up for the webinar via the New Family Social. 

Fostering South West, the regional fostering hub, also runs a series of online Fostering information sessions which you can join via Teams. The next sessions are on Tuesday 17 March  with the first session from 1pm to 2pm and the second taking place from 7pm to 8.30pm. There is no need to book, you just join the relevant Teams link for the session you wish to attend.

Join the 1pm session at this link.  

Join the 7pm session at this link. 

Adoption

In Torbay and across the rest of Devon, Adoption is managed through Adopt South West. If you are thinking of adopting you can contact Adopt South West on 0345 155 1076, email adoptsouthwest@devon.gov.uk or visit the Adopt South West website.