Hi we are *Robin & Freya and this is our journey..
My wife and I always knew we wanted to adopt. With backgrounds in education and health and social care, we had the skills and more importantly, the love to offer children a safe, nurturing home.
As a transgender man, we also knew that our path to parenthood might be a little less straightforward. But from the start, we were committed to building a family rooted in love, acceptance, and understanding.
We dreamed of adopting siblings, which meant we needed to plan carefully, emotionally, practically, and financially.
We spent years preparing:
- attending adoption open evenings
- learning what was expected of us
- and checking in to make sure we were on the right path.
We saved, moved into a bigger home, and timed my medical transition to make sure everything aligned as best it could.
Then the pandemic hit.
Covid paused everything.
I was on a waiting list for surgery and was told it could now be delayed by years.
Even basic steps, like getting a routine medical check for the adoption process, became unexpectedly complex.
Despite the setbacks, we still held tightly to our dream.
We began exploring agencies and quickly realised that going through a voluntary adoption agency might give us the support we needed.
We reached out to five. One stood out.
Yorkshire Adoption Agency took the time to truly see us.
They spoke to us with humility, listened without judgement, and offered thoughtful, honest guidance.
As LGBTQ+ prospective parents and as people with our own lived experiences, we don’t always find it easy to trust.
But we were lucky to be matched with social workers who were experienced, skilled, and genuinely supportive.
Their approach made all the difference, and we are incredibly grateful. The training we received was also excellent informative, compassionate, and grounded in real-world understanding.
We also know that adoption is not a destination it’s a lifelong journey.
We’ve learned how important it is to keep reaching out, to stay connected, and to lean into the support that surrounds us.
And we do reach out, because our beautiful family is always growing, always learning, and always worth the effort.
*Names have been changed for privacy reasons.
Learn more about about YAA’s support for LGBTQ+ adopters