Useful resources for families and prospective parents

the stork and i
The Stork and I is one of very few support and advice services specifically for single women who want to start a family in the UK. They offer a range of online resources such as a blog, podcast and online community, as well as face-to-face coaching. Other charities who support single parents include Gingerbread, who offer a wealth of resources, information and practical advice, and the Donor Conception Network, whose website includes a section for single people wanting to start a family. The solo mum despatches mailing list also provides information and support to single-by-choice mums – you can sign up here.
There are limited support networks for bisexual parents, even though there are a lot of us! The Family Equality Council have a great blog post celebrating and explaining some of the facts about bi+ parents, with links to research, stories and articles about bisexual parenting. More recently, Anna Jones has written this article for Romper about some of the issues facing bisexual mums. You can also follow @BiFamilies on Twitter!

 

PAC-UK-Logo-Landscape
PAC-UK offer support to those affected by adoption. They emphasise peer support and advice and host excellent guest blogs by and for adopters. Many more adopters share their first-hand experiences in their own blogs – try  Adoption: The Bear Facts, Two boys, One dog and Us and The Modern Adoptive Mummy.

 

outspoken voices
Click the image for a fantastic podcast by and for LGBTQ families. Great for those who prefer or need to listen. It’s run by the US-based Family Equality Council. The Podcasts cover a range of issues, including school, options for fostering and adoption, donor conception and related issues of health and identity. Also see the fertility podcast and the adoption & fostering podcast.

 

new family social
Click the image to find New Family Social’s range of excellent resources for LGBT adoptive and foster families in the UK, including testimonies from LGBT families, links to research about adoption and fostering, the New Family social magazine, and more.

 

books for children
There are lots of pages that list the best books for diverse families. Click the image for one from goodreads, which is one of the most extensive, and includes reader ratings and reviews, as well as books for older children. Todd Parr is a personal favourite!

Books for prospective parents

There are many great books out there for single or LGBTQ people who are considering parenthood. We’ve selected some of the most recent and best-rated by readers, all written by authors with first-hand experience and expertise.