New Family Social helps lesbian and gay adopters to support each other, and promotes positive outcomes for their children by organising family events, and enabling strong support networks to be built.  We also offer help and advice to those considering adoption, and in the first instance recommend reading The Pink Guide to Adoption for Lesbians and Gay Men.

Since 2005, lesbian and gay people have been able to apply jointly to be assessed as adoptive parents.  When this new law came into effect, the British Association of Adoption and Fostering produced a guidebook for social workers on assessing lesbian and gay carers.  It explains that lesbians and gay men should be assessed equally with heterosexual adopters, that they have a great deal to offer as adoptive parents, and that with a national shortfall of adopters they should be encouraged to come forward.Very many lesbian and gay couples and single people have successfully formed families through adoption, and many more are in the approval process.  Most adoption agencies now recognize the gay community as a valuable, and still largely untapped, source of adopters.  Despite these recent changes, lesbian and gay adopters and prospective adopters still face prejudice and other issues specific to them, and that is why New Family Social exists.

Our UK-wide network of support and social activity is open to all lesbian and gay adoptive families, as well as those in the approval process.  Members are able to find others in their area and use the busy online message board. They are also welcome to come to any of our regular national and regional social events. This is what New Family Social is all about; creating opportunities for adopters to offer each other support and encouragement, and for the adopted children to gain the self-confidence of knowing other lesbian and gay adoptive families just like their own.