Category Archives: Planning

Welcome to the We Are Family magazine library, Planning section.

Planning is for anyone thinking about starting an ‘alternative’ family, whether it’s still just a thought, an idea to consider, or your decision has been made and it’s time to explore your options and take positive steps forward – this section is for you.

Scroll down for our most recent Planning articles, click the Word Cloud on the right to browse areas of interest, or use the search box to find specific content.
We welcome your contributions – share your experiences, top tips and thoughts using the comment option beneath each article.

Calling all kinds of loving families

Calling all kinds of loving families
It should be a fact of life for every child – a loving family and a safe home where they can grow up happy and content. Unfortunately, more than 2,000 children across the UK are currently awaiting adoption, still hoping for that security and permanency in their lives. For older children, sibling groups, children with…
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Count yourself in to fostering

Becoming a foster parent can be a rewarding career. You will change the life of a child for the better as well as get the opportunity to develop your own skills and grow as a person, all of this with support and training and you’ll earn an allowance at the same time. Richard, a Foster…
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Gender-neutral parenting: an in-depth guide

Many parents-to-be are frustrated by the social limitations of gender stereotyping. They don’t want their girls to only play with tea sets and dolls or their boys to be dressed only in blue pretending to be policemen and playing with diggers and trucks. Gender-neutral parenting gives children free choice and nurtures creativity, self-awareness and identity…
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Parental orders: a vital step for families following surrogacy

Surrogacy is an increasingly common route to parenthood for both LGBT and heterosexual couples. The number of parents finishing their surrogacy journey with an application for a parental order in England has risen every year since 2009-10, with 295 applications made in the past year. But does this figure tell the whole story when it…
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Types of fostering placements

Short-term/task-centered fostering There will be a task centered plan for this child with specific tasks such as integrating them back into their family within six months. There may be specific work that needs to be done with the child around behavioral issues such as setting firm boundaries. Leaving care A young person reaching adult age…
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Applying to foster: the process

Want to find out more about fostering? Here are the next steps. Call a foster agency and make an initial enquiry. They will invite you to an open evening to learn more. A social worker will come to your home for an initial visit to talk it through in more detail and do some checks…
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Becoming a foster carer, 11 myths demystified

There are still many misconceptions about who can foster. Here are the top 11. I can’t foster because… I’m too old. Your age is not a barrier to becoming a foster carer. I am single. Anyone can foster regardless of whether they have a partner or not. I’ve got pets. So long as your pet…
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The rewards of becoming a foster carer

Being a foster carer can be a challenging job, but the rewards are varied and quite personal. Some foster carers find it so fulfilling, they foster many children throughout a long fostering career. Here are some of the positive benefits of being a foster carer. Positively change a child’s life You’re providing a foster child…
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In-depth guide to foster caring

Are you interested in becoming a foster carer but don't know enough about it? Perhaps you assume your circumstances or expectations mean you wouldn't be accepted. Here, with help from Achieving for Children, we get all your questions answered. There are now 70,000 children in care. Many of these children are on the adoption register…
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Queer Journeys to Parenthood

Growing Families (formerly Families Through Surrogacy) are a not-for-profit organisation who work globally to promote safe and informed family building through surrogacy. They ran their first UK seminar back in 2014 and quickly gained momentum. Since then they have hosted 14 events in the UK and Ireland and many more abroad. The key to the…
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