Mark and Paul, short and long term-fostering

“There shouldn’t be any misconceptions around couples from the LGBTQ community fostering children and youth in need of a family and a roof over their heads.”

Since beginning their fostering journey in 2016, Mark and Paul housed a number of children requiring urgent care and in January 2019 they received their first long-term placement, a sibling group of three children.

“My mum has been a foster carer for over 14 years and Paul and I have seen first hand the difference and positive influence she has had on the lives of so many vulnerable children and young people.”

“We didn’t know whether or not same-sex couples could foster, so we spoke with mum’s social worker and were delighted to discover that the process to foster would be no different from a heterosexual couple”

“There shouldn’t be any misconceptions around couples from the LGBTQ community fostering children and youth in need of a family and a roof over their heads. “

Both Mark and Paul feel their same-sex relationship allows their foster children to be more open-minded about the people in their lives and the people they encounter in the world every day.

On advice to couples across the LGBTQ community thinking of fostering, Mark said: “There is nothing stopping you. All you have to do is dive in head first and go for it. Fostering our children has been the best thing that has happened to us.

Learn more about LGBT+ Fostering.