Fostering and Adoption in Scotland

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Conference
2009 National LGBT Conference
Date
31 July 2009
Decision
Carried as Amended

Conference welcomes the passing of The Adoption & Children (Scotland) Act 2007 in the Scottish Parliament which will become law in 2009. In passing this legislation and the subsequent amendment to the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations, same sex couples will now be eligible to be assessed to adopt and foster children in the same way as single Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people can apply to be assessed. The Fostering Network has indicated that at least 450 new foster carers must be recruited in Scotland over the next year to provide stable homes for accommodated children.

LGBT couples in England and Wales can already apply to adopt and foster children as couples. However, joint adoption is still restricted to married couples in Northern Ireland.

Conference calls upon the National LGBT Committee to ensure that branches across Scotland are aware of this very positive change in the law when the legislation is implemented; and to urge branches wherever possible to encourage interested same sex couples and single people to consider applying to local councils and fostering agencies to become foster carers and adoptive parents. Conference further calls on the committee to continue to campaign for non-discriminatory provision across the United Kingdom.