Wirral LGBTQ+ couple share their adoption journey during National Adoption Week

A local LGBTQ+ couple, Craig and Daniel from Wirral, have shared their inspiring adoption story during National Adoption Week (21-27 October), exemplifying this year’s theme that “the journey to a family is not always a traditional one.”

According to recent research from You Can Adopt, over 25% of approved adopters in 2023/24 were part of the LGBTQ+ community, highlighting the evolving nature of modern families.

As part of National Adoption Week, Craig and Daniel have shared their journey to fatherhood, which began when they had their daughter placed for adoption when she was just 9 weeks old.

Reflecting on the process, Daniel said:

“Honestly, we were a little worried about how we would be perceived being a gay couple. But the second we met our social worker all those worries disappeared.

“The best part of the process was when we saw our daughter’s profile. We knew straight away that she was going to be our daughter. We went to the matching panel very quickly and before we knew it, she had moved in. It was quick but felt so right.

“We left our old life for a new one and being a parent is the most rewarding thing – we wouldn’t change it for anything else”.

Adoption in Merseyside. Image provided by Wirral Council.

According to the same survey by You Can Adopt, the vast majority of the public (88%) feel it’s important to teach children that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that this promotes acceptance of children from non-traditional family units (52%). However, (51%) of the public surveyed were not taught this themselves when growing up.

Cllr Stephen Bennett, Chair of the Children, Families and Education Committee for Wirral Council, said:

“Children are currently waiting longer to be adopted due to the lack of approved adopters. But there could be many people out there who don’t realise they could adopt successfully, due to stigma which is simply untrue.

“If you’re thinking about adoption, please take that first step and get in touch with the team.”