Lgbt adoption ireland

LGBT Fostering

At Kindercare Northern Ireland we often notice that many people wrongly assume that their sexuality will discount them from becoming an approved foster carer. In fact, it is illegal to discriminate against potential foster carers because of their sexual orientation.

It seems hard to dream that it has only been a decade since discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples and individuals preventing them from fostering was made unlawful.

In the past decade, the contribution that LGBT carers have made to the lives of thousands of children across the UK has been immense.

In the law changed, allowing both foster or adoptive carers in an LGBT couple to appear as legal guardians on the adoption or fostering paperwork.

This change has resulted in a steady increase in LGBT foster carers; with both parents’ rights acknowledged by law, fostering has become far more viable and attractive to couples.

However, as we celebrate LGBT Adoption and Fostering Week, Kindercare Northern Ireland wants to reach out to couples who have considered fostering an

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  • Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund /26 [01 April, ]

    1 Apr

    Anonymous member

  • Change lives in by adopting or fostering [03 March, ]

    3 Mar

    Anonymous member

  • Big Adoption Day: 15 January [16 December, ]

    16 Dec

    Anonymous member

  • Blow to LGBTQ+ adoption in England [09 December, ]

    4 Dec

    Anonymous member

  • LGBTQ+ Adoption & Fostering Week to restore in March [27 November, ]

    27 Nov

    Anonymous member

  • Record proportion of LGBTQ+ people adopting in Northern Ireland [22 October, ]

    22 Oct

    Anonymous member

  • Booking opens for the LGBTQ+ adoption & fostering briefing [02 October, ]

    2 Oct

    Anonymous member

  • LGBTQ+ adoptions surge in Scotland [05 August, ]

    5 Aug

    Anonymous member

  • Gay adoption drama now available

    Spotlight on LGBTQI+ Research: The legal obstacles facing LGBTQI+ parent families

    The legal obstacles facing LGBTQI+ parent families and why we need to recognise diverse family relationships in Ireland

     

     

    I have been researching the legal issues pertaining to LGBTQI+ parent families for over 10 years. When I started my research in this field, there was no mechanism in Irish law whereby both members of a same-sex couple could be jointly recognised as the legal parents of the same child. Despite recent progress, LGBTQI+ parent families in Ireland continue to face obstacles in obtaining legal recognition of their family relationships. While Irish law embraces a variety of ‘new’ and ‘non-traditional’ family forms, it fails to accommodate many others.

    My Irish Research Council funded New Foundations project, LGBTI+ Parent Families in Ireland: Legal Recognition of Parent-Child Relationships, was carried out in collaboration with LGBT Ireland. It highlights the need for legal reform to recognise diverse family relationships, but also underlines the fact that reform

    Same-sex adoption: ‘I never thought I’d be a parent in Northern Ireland'

    Niall McCracken

    BBC News NI

    "Both of us had really loved the idea of being parents, but grew up thinking this wouldn't be an option, so it's astounding it has come entire circle."

    Paul Wright from Belfast and his husband Martin adopted their son two years ago.

    It's been a decade since Northern Ireland laws changed to grant same-sex couples to adopt for the first noun.

    It was the last part of the UK to implement the change.

    During /23, 13% of adoptions in Northern Ireland were with same-sex couples.

    'We're a family now'

    The law switch has had a profound impact on Paul's life.

    He said: "I've been with my partner Martin for 23 years now, and for the majority of our relationship, parenting just wasn't on the cards.

    "But when the legislation changed, we just both looked at each other and said - 'right we're going to act this.'"

    Paul and Martin adopted their son just before the Covid pandemic.