Last updated on August 18th, 2015 at 03:24 pm

But family life does not have to stop there for people who are gay, straight, married or single.  In 2002, the Adoption and Children Act confirmed that same sex couples could foster or adopt. The previous requirement for adoptive parents or foster carers to be married was dropped and this opened up the possibility for unmarried couples, along with same sex couples, to put themselves forward to become foster carers or adoptive parents.  It also allowed single people, regardless of their sexuality or gender, to apply to foster and adopt. The government stated at the time that this was not an issue about gay rights, but about providing as many children as possible with a stable family environment rather than seeing them kept in care.

For those with an interest in fostering or adoption, a rigorous assessment process still has to be undertaken, but the immediate hurdle of an applicant’s relationship status or sexuality has now been removed, opening the process up to everyone.  Perhaps the recent changes and events that have had a huge impact on the definition of what constitutes a family, offers a timely opportunity to remind those who wish to offer something unique to a child or children that they have an opportunity to do so.

Anyone interested in fostering or adoption should speak with their local authority, all of which have dedicated teams.