Nursery World - Positive Relationships: Working with parents

LGBT people may become parents in a variety of ways, and will face
challenges both unique to their situation and in common with other
parents. Deborah Price and Kath Tayler reflect on the role of
practitioners in supporting these families.

Like all families, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) parent families come in many shapes and sizes. Some will have many children, some will have only one. They will be dealing with all the issues that any other family may be facing.

Poverty, ill-health and disability, poor housing, parental separation, redundancy, low pay, mental health and many other issues are all challenges that LGBT parent families may struggle with. There will also be births, deaths, marriages, birthdays, parties, holidays, moving house, starting a new job or school and all the other life events that all families experience. As 11-year-old Joe tells us of his life with his two fathers, 'We go to the shops too - we're more the same than different!'

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