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Lesbian and Gay Fostering and Adoption: Extraordinary Yet Ordinary
£4.40
Very little material exists on the experiences of gay men and lesbians who have adopted, fostered or provided respite care for children. This book presents a collection of personal accounts, based on interviews and written testimonies, by lesbian and gay parents from many different social and ethnic backgrounds. Their stories record good and bad experiences, but overall, the accounts are positive and emphasise the rewards of parenting. This book will dispel a lot of misconceptions: it will also be useful to gay men and lesbians who are thinking about adopting or fostering children.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Jessica Kingsley Publishers (1 Sept. 1998) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 208 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 9781853026003 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1853026003 |
| Dimensions | 17.7 x 1.2 x 23.4 cm |
by G. T. Peterson
This book is deceiving because it was reprinted in 2005 but neglects to update the info or stories to provide more than an 80s and 90s perspective.
This said, there are many stories with a great diversity of backgrounds, challenges and triumphs to learn from (although there is a strong majority of parents already coming from a social worker background). The editorial essay in the back is probably the most helpful and would have been better placed as the introduction.
Having moved from the US to the UK (partly to escape a George Bush-tolerating society), I am a bit surprised by the amount of closeted stories in this book as well as how many stories had to cope with “outing” issues. That is another reason I think this book is sadly (for the book) outdated (great for increasing equality). I respect and applaud the efforts of the authors and the many brave parents involved with the project . . . in many ways, they are significant part of the improvement in equality for LGBT . . and all future generations stand on their shoulders.
BUT we are in different age now and need new stories. I would love to see a re-published edition that includes these stories but adds new ones from the 2000s.
by Dr. Stephen Hicks
It’s a little unfair to describe our book as ‘deceiving’! It was published in 1999, the 2005 version is a reprint, not an updated version, so some of the legal and policy questions will now be out-of-date. But the stories from the lesbians and gay men who have adopted or fostered children still have much to say and to teach us. The book is still very relevant for any LGBT people thinking about foster care or adoption and also provides some vital things for social workers and other welfare workers to think about. And hopefully the stories are still thought-provoking and relevant.
by M. Nastari
I regard this an essential read for social workers and SW students, as well as lesbian and gay people who are themselves considering fostering or adoption. The book draws on real peoples experinces of the system, highlighting how sometimes parents can be left feeling like the ‘last resort’. The book also draws on the many postive aspects of lesbian and gay parenting. The book was published in 1999 and recent legislation which has become more ‘tolerant’ rather than accepting may or may not of altered some of these experinces, nethertheless, this is well worth a read.
what is freshing is that this book is written in a very accessible way making it an enjoyable read, its not overly academic which is great for mr & mr joe blogs who are considering what they could offer to a child. same sex adoption and fostering is gaining more attention, it still has a long way to go this book makes a valuable contribution.