Hear from Alexander and James
At Haringey we are proud to have LGBTQIA+ families fostering with us, one of those families are Alexander and James.
We asked Alexander and James to share their thoughts with us on being foster carers.
As neither of us has had our own children, we didn't know how we'd handle some of the upcoming challenges, but we've learnt and grown from each situation. When our first child arrived, we were a little nervous but excited. We have seen the child who was our first placement a few times since he left our home and it's so wonderful to see him grow.
Commenting on whether they had encountered any prejudice, they responded:
We weren't sure how foster children would take to living in a same sex household, but it hasn't really been an issue at all. It has never been an issue to the children we are just James and Alex. When we tell others that we are foster carers, the response is always the same, "That's a wonderful thing to do, it must be challenging!". Everyone is always so supportive.
Alexander and James also shared their thoughts on being a foster carer for Haringey Council:
The team at Haringey Council is full of kind and generous people. We've had a number of social workers over the years, but all have been lovely to work with. Haringey offered a lot of support and training, Alex’s favourite was Trauma and Attachment.
Alexander and James have this advice to those wondering if fostering is for them:
Fostering is the most rewarding experience, we've loved every moment of it. Bear in mind it will be stressful and challenging at times. Don't let the fact you are in a same-sex relationship get in the way of your application; it really doesn't cause an issue!