One in four adopted children join LGBT families

Adopters Amy, left, and Kirstie with their son

LGBT families are playing a bigger role in adopting children, according to an adoption service.

Between 2020 and 2023, according to figures from Cumbria Adoption, 23 out of 93 adopted children in the county joined LGBT families.

Amy and Kirstie adopted their son in May 2021 and were initially concerned he would be bullied for having two mums.

But the couple believes having more LGBT adopters is a "good thing" as it allows more children to find their "forever home".

The percentage of children being adopted into LGBT homes in Cumbria has doubled since 2018.

National figures, which exclude single adopters, show one in five of the 3,000 adoptions in England in 2022-23 were to same-sex couples.

Kirstie and Amy were initially worried their son would be bullied for having two mums

Zoe Chambers, from Cumbria Adoption, said LGBT adopters are "really important" in helping to find loving homes for children.

She said: "Our experience has been that they are often more likely to be open to adopting those children who have waited longer – brothers and sisters, children aged over four, and children with additional needs.”

Amy, 31, and Kirsty, 33, adopted their son when he was 23 months old.

Amy said: "We did have some initial concerns having experienced bullying ourselves, and we worried that our child would experience bullying because of having ‘two mums’.

"But our desire to give a child a home and a family outweighed those thoughts and we have had very good experience in nursery and school so far."

Councillor Emma Williamson, from Cumberland Council, said: "These latest figures should be a matter of pride for us all that we are reaching a point where a child having ‘two mums’ or ‘two dads’ is no big deal.

"All that matters is that adopters can provide a secure home that’s filled with love."