Fay talks about adopting her two-year-old son after three rounds of IVF, including one miscarriage. She had heard about how much longer black children wait for adoptive families and felt that adoption would be the right way to parenthood for her. Family life has brought Fay and her wife so much happiness and she talks about the importance of play and the need for patience!

Monty and his husband were approved for Early Permanence and had a tiny baby placed with them. Just a couple of months later, they were asked if they'd adopt the baby's older sibling. Monty talks about delays in their assessment process, becoming a parent twice in less than six months, and how much joy their children have brought them.

Monty recommends this book: Undertaking an adoption assessment in England

This episode of Adoption, Fostering and Tea was recorded live at our annual summer camp for LGBTQ adoption and fostering families, taking questions from our audience.

Oliver returns to the podcast to talk about how he navigated the adoption process (including some ill-informed questions) as a bisexual man. He discusses his journey to positively identify as bisexual, and also brings us up-to-date on life with his four-year-old son.

Their previous podcast can be found here Episode 97

Robin and James were in their late 40s when they decided it was time to adopt. They talk about how they overcame the negative messages they'd received, as children, about gay people. They discuss their decision to adopt an older child, why they'd recommend this to others, and how they helped their son when he faced homophobic bullying.

Archie was diagnosed as autistic during the adoption assessment process. Tor and Archie talk about what it's like to learn you're autistic and the strengths it brings the as parents.

Carlos has wanted children since he was 17. He started researching adoption in his mid-twenties and, ten years later, he's stuck in stage one but excited about his future as a single adopter for one or two children.

Charlie and Ben had said they felt unable to take a child with complex medical needs but when their daughter was born and taken straight to intensive care, they knew they wanted to make it work. They talk about early contact sessions and the toll they took. They also talk about their family's delight in meeting the new baby and how much joy she's brought into their lives.