Matt and Ian knew they wanted to complete their family in a permanent way; they are now the proud parents of two children. Ian is a school teacher and Matt is a nursery teacher.
Matt and Ian adopted their first child when he was 18mths old; they weren’t actively looking for a sibling but when their son’s half brother was born, Matt and Ian were approached as possible parents for him and they said yes. Their second son moved to their family when he was 11mths old.
The couple had friends in their network who had already adopted, so they understood what was involved before they embarked on the process. Their network of other adopters grew as they went through the assessment process and Matt and Ian have stayed in contact with people they met on their original group training.
Matt and Ian love being parents and have never regretted their decision. Within their local family community, the couple say that they have been completely accepted; the children are always being asked to parties and the nursery staff are extremely complimentary about the children in general.
The couple acknowledge that adoption can be tough at times but believe that any parenting comes with highs and lows. Matt and Ian are great champions for people from the LGBT community to consider adoption and fostering.
“They should have the confidence to do it … they will be accepted and they will get so much out of it. Our boys are an utter delight, and we love them more than you could ever imagine. We want other people to be able to have this experience, and for other kids to have the same happiness.”
Looking ahead, the couple believe they will foster once their own children are older. They believe they still can make a difference to other children’s lives.