LGBTQ+ fostering households on the rise in Wales
LGBTQ+ fostering is on the rise in Wales (Stock image via Getty)
The number of LGBTQ+ households in Wales that are fostering children is rising, according to new statistics.
There are currently 56 LGBTQ+ households that are fostering in the area, compared to the 30 in 2024. Stats also show that 12.5 per cent of those households are with Foster Wales Carmarthenshire, which covers the south-west Wales county.
Councillor Jane Tremlett, cabinet member for adult social services, children and families at Carmarthenshire County Council, said: “There’s a pressing need for more people to become foster carers and insufficient adoption applications.”
READ MORE: LGBTQ+ people are being encouraged to foster in West Midlands: ‘It’s about being compassionate’
She continued: “We want to encourage people to consider adoption or fostering as routes to building their family. LGBTQ+ people bring unique qualities which can be incredibly powerful in supporting children and young people to feel seen.”
Speaking to the South Wales Guardian on 4 March, Carmarthenshire queer couple Dee and Kaz Hamilton said they decided to start their fostering journey after helping friends who fostered.
“We had no idea that we needed fostering in our lives,” they said. “It started with friends asking us to be their foster support. At that point, we had no intention of being more than a spare pair of hands.”
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