Gay community encouraged to take part in new foster carer campaign

Gay community encouraged to take part in new foster carer campaign

A LEADING child protection charity is challenging stereotypes and misconceptions about foster carers in a new inclusive and integrated campaign.

Acknowledging that people often think they won’t be accepted or that they don’t fit the mould, Barnardos Australia is aiming to debunk myths people have about foster carers with a new campaign featuring a same-sex couple, as well as a younger alternative couple with tattoos, dyed hair and piercings, a couple in motorcycle leathers, as well as an older couple and a single person.

The charity identified the most common reasons why potential carers counted themselves out and urged people to count themselves in instead.

“It’s important to us that people understand that it’s not about what you look like, your age or your marital status. Foster caring is about having the right qualities to be able to provide a safe and stable home to a child in crisis,” chief executive Louise Voigt said.

“We need a wide range of different sorts of carers for different sorts of children. We need carers from different ethnic backgrounds, single carers, married carers, partnered carers, gay carers, older carers who have valuable experience as well as younger carers who are very committed.

“I urge anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer to talk to us, I’m sure we can use your skills.”

The campaign is currently being rolled out, and the charity has also launched a supporting website and will release new videos each week featuring interviews with real foster carers. Watch the videos here.

For more details and to get involved, click here

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18 responses to “Gay community encouraged to take part in new foster carer campaign”

  1. Add me friends I’m abir from Bangladesh I’m only 19 ..I like boys but in my country its difficult to lead a happy life when u r gay …pls help me to leave my country for my own and happy life with a men

  2. Faster caring is one of life’s very rewarding things anyone can do.
    We are two gay man and have been carers for (9) nine years .
    We wanted to be two dads and fostering was the way for us and over the nine years we have had some 18 children say with us four which are in long term and the other 14 in shorts term carer with us before bing placed in a long term family.
    We started of with DOCs before moving over to NGO burnside around two years a go.
    There has been many challenges over the years but nun that could not be handled in a ethical or loving way.
    We run our home just as any family run there homes with the children interest put first.
    We support the children in all their interest like sport or hobbys.
    We play a acted roll and get involved like volunteering at the children’s school and or sporting clubs.
    Their education is a big factor in the way we can support the children so we run a tight routine at home insuring the children are doing homework but also have plenty of time to do what children love best.
    As gay man we have given up plenty just so we could be dads and carers to the young people that need it the most.
    Children that come in care come from a
    Neglected environment or broken homes.
    They have no boundaries and no understanding of rules.
    They have no attachment or are Un able to show love or unable to receive it at all.

    Children that come in to care need a lot of nurturing and a lot of empathy is needed to deal with the day to day challenges. But with your caring , time , patients, support, and love you can make a very big difference in their lives.

    The good morning cuddles and the good night cuddles are your thank you’s and this is how you know you are doing a good jobs.

    We as carers keep our case works well informed as to how the children are doing but at the same time we try to be as low maintenance as possible.
    We have built up a great relationship with the department and our agency and of course with our caseworkers and in this partnership we all have been able to support the children along the way.

    Seeing children that come from a bad situation doing well in life with your love and help is very rewarding.
    As carers we have no regrets and wouldn’t change a thing.

    Before taking the step to become carers you need to do your own research and homework there are good agencies and there are not so good agencies-especially when it comes to same-sex couples. Rules have changed and no agency religious or not can discriminate against same sex couples but their ideas take a long time to change therefore I feel it’s important when you are sourcing for a agency that you find out what was their rules before and what are they now.

    I certainly would not go with any group that has issues with homosexuality in the past or in the present as deep within their veins there would still be some questionable beliefs with homosexual people.

    When you are doing your research you should become the interview and not let them interview you ask them questions and ask them anything that you feel is needed after all it is their support that you are asking for.

    Good luck to any same sex couples who are considering becoming foster carers

  3. We got as far as the first interview, and when asked about claims against carers were told that allegations of abuse including physical, emotional, and sexual weren’t uncommon, and were always handled ‘in house’ without police involvement. I was deeply uncomfortable with that reply and we ended up pulling out of the process. I’m a Doctor and one allegation like that would be a career ender for me, and we felt the odds of a disaffected youth having a go at a same sex couple would be pretty damned easy

    • Surely if that was such a concern, you could put your hand up for fostering opposite sex children only? It’s a lot harder to make a false allegation then, when the carer’s sexuality is well known

    • Hi Alan, that is upsetting to hear.

      When a disclosure is made against you, it will generally be handled within the organization. Your caseworker can clarify This for you.

      So, a disclosure is made, it will then get investigated internally and yes does get reported- process weather it’s gay or straight. Then the organization provides their investigation etc to the answering party.

      A lot of children come into care, a few will often make disclosure or allegations. This isn’t something to be terrified of or anything.

      I do hope your partner and yourself do look into it again.
      You will have a case worker assigned to your cases who you can always phone and ask questions too and they come out and offer support ( most organizations)

  4. Being a caseworker and having a same sex couple is awesome!!! I love all my carers straight or gay.
    They do an amazing job.

    I love seeing a NGO support same sex carers!! Yay!

    Well done