Supporting the LGBT community

Shocking new figures released by Stonwall Cymru today show that 34% of LGBT employees in Wales hid or disguised their sexuality at work, this figure rises to 45% when it comes to people who identify as transgender.

These are truly upsetting and shameful statistics. Every employer, large or small has a role to play in supporting their employees to live happy and fulfilled lives and we at Family Fostering Partners take our responsibility seriously. We also  believe that we also have a role to play in creating positive family models for children to ensure that as a society we overcome the prejudice and discrimination. No one should feel the need to hide their sexuality either at work or at home.

There are still many people who believe (wrongly) that your sexuality is an obstacle to becoming a foster carer but this could not be further from the truth. Sexuality has absolutely nothing to do with an individual’s ability to offer a safe, stable and loving home to a child. We need individuals from all walks of life to offer safe and loving homes to vulnerable children across Wales.  As part of our commitment to breaking down barriers, addressing prejudice and increasing the number of LGBT carers, we will be writing plenty more blog posts on this subject as well as sharing the message that your sexuality is no obstacle to fostering.  To his end, we are really looking forward to attending the Llanelli LGBT day on the 4^th of August. We are proud to be associated with the event and look forward to meeting any LGBT families who are interested in becoming foster parents. We will be posting further information about this event in a future blog post so don’t forget to check out our website regularly for the most up to date information and news.

We want to do all that we can to break down barriers to fostering and if you have any ideas for events or opportunities that we could support to reach out to the LGBT community we would welcome all suggestions.

Further information on the latest data from Stonewall Cymru can be found by following this link to the BBC, you may also wish to read more about Stonwall Cymru’s work on their website www.stonewallcymru.org.uk

If you have been thinking of fostering and you have a spare bedroom in your house, then why not contact us today? We promise that you will have our full support throughout the process of becoming a foster carer and throughout your placements.

If you would like more information then you can chat to us by using the live dialogue box below, by emailing info@familyfosteringpartners.co.uk, by filling in the form below or by phoning 01267 232228.