Family: Foster Care? Problems with Religion and Identity

[MeadowRae]

Hello, everyone! It's been a while since I've been here. It's been a bit of hectic season.

My partner and I were married on 10/13 after being together nearly two years. We had a handfasting in the woods and it was marvelous. I should put some pictures in the members only forum.

I recently came to the realization that I am genderqueer/non-binary. I had a bad bought of dysmorphia after a breast lift surgery and went to therapy and it all clicked into place. I'm somewhat still in the closet, but I've adjusted my life to a place where I feel more comfortable, and I've never been happier.

Now that my son is a bit older (2 and a half) I have been thinking of fostering a child with the hope of adoption. I'm wondering if I should even list my gender identity on the application and I'm concerned that we will be held under a microscope because of my religion. I've already decided not to say anything about our girlfriend that we see every four months or so, because she would not be around the kids very much, if at all, and there's no need for the state to know that. I don't want to lie about my religion because, well, there's evidence of it in my house everywhere. I don't want to have to clean up my altar whenever a social worker comes over.

Has anyone else here fostered a child? Did you face discrimination because of your identity or religion?

[PerditaPickle]

Has anyone else here fostered a child? Did you face discrimination because of your identity or religion?

Hi - no, I've never fostered a child, but a colleague adopted here in the UK, and they were apparently scrutinised quite closely, closer than they'd expected (like, they delved into what phobias the prospective parents had, to consider the impact that might have on the child).

I don't really know if that's helpful or not.  There's probably online forums & stuff specifically for prospective foster carers, though, so maybe have a look around if you haven't already, and lurk some.

[Hariti]

I don't want to have to clean up my altar whenever a social worker comes over. Has anyone else here fostered a child? Did you face discrimination because of your identity or religion?

I don't have any experience with fostering, but I felt like I should point out that it would be illegal for them to discriminate on the basis of religion. US laws on religious freedom are pretty cut and dry, and since foster care is government operated, any discrimination could have serious consequences for the ones doing the discriminating.