Last year, 1 in 6 adoptions in England were to a same sex couples (2021) and a Merseyside-based organisation is seeking to encourage even more people to start their adoption journey.
Adoption in Merseyside (AiM) is sharing the stories of some of its LGBT+ adopters, to mark LGBT+ Adoption and Fostering week (7th-13th March 2022) and encourage people from all walks of life to think about adopting, helping children to find stable and loving families.
Andy and Craig always knew they wanted to be parents and adoption was always their first option, as they had a loving and safe home to offer a child.
They said: “We always wanted a family and decided to start the process to adopt. The process was quite hard for us, it was very intrusive and in depth, but we understand why this must be done.
“It was an emotional process as it delved into our past and the reasons why certain situations happened and how we dealt with that. The training was also self-reflective and made us think about how we would parent our own child.
“Even though the process is hard work, when we eventually got to meet our little girl, it made it all real and worth it. We finally feel like a family and I just can’t wait to see how she develops and grows.
“Our adoption journey from initial enquiry to welcoming our little girl took around 12 months, we know the hard work isn’t over but we know support will always be there from Adoption in Merseyside.”
AiM is the regional adoption agency for Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and Wirral and it welcomes people to apply if they are single, renting accommodation or already have children – if you can offer the space in your heart and your home, the chances are you could adopt.
For more information on the adoption process or to request an information pack, visit: www.adoptioninmerseyside.co.uk
