Tasmanian Baptist welfare organisation, Baptcare, is seeking LGBTIQ foster parents.
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Baptcare family and community services operations manager Chris Demeyer said Baptcare, which won a Dorothy Award for inclusive LGBTI practice, had worked with LGBTIQ+ communities in Melbourne in the past and was surveying Tasmanians on fostering.
"Baptcare is an LGBTIQ+ friendly organisation and we've been working hard planning for a more inclusive and culturally safe workplace and service for gender diverse people," he said.
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"As a Dorothy Award-winning organisation Baptcare has a priority on inclusion of a wide range of communities, individuals and their families.
"Our mission is 'partnering for fullness of life with people of all ages, cultures, beliefs and circumstances' and our vision of 'communities where every person is cherished' illustrates this.
"Baptcare is also aware of the need for foster carers for the state's most vulnerable children to receive stable care, from respite to longer-term placements, therefore it makes very good sense to engage with a wide range of communities which includes the LGBTIQ+ community."
Baptcare expects to place 20 children with foster parents by June 2020 as part of its new Tasmanian program.
Mr Demeyer said the response to the survey of the LGBTIQ community had been encouraging.
"It is difficult to predict how many of these placements may include LGBTIQ+ carers," he said.
"We have undertaken this survey to ensure that the LGBTIQ+ community can have a say in what their needs and interests are in foster care, and how we can best provide for that.
"Initial engagement has been really pleasing with a high number of surveys sent through in the first days of it being released and we are excited to look at the results and what we may be able to do to facilitate pathways for further information to be provided to the LGBTIQ+ community.
"Hopefully we will be able to engage well with the LGBTIQ+ community so that they might consider foster caring with Baptcare's support."
Equality Tasmania spokesperson Rodney Croome applauded Baptcare for reaching out to prospective LGBTIQ foster parents.
"Many LGBTIQ people who wish to help a child in need may not realise this is an option with a faith-based agency," Mr Croome said.
"The best interests of the child must always come first, and the best interest of Tasmanian children in need of foster care is for fostering agencies like Baptcare to have the largest possible pool of potential foster families from which to draw.
"Baptcare's outreach to the LGBTIQ community is also important because it stands in such stark contrast to the antagonistic attitude towards LGBTIQ people shown by some Tasmanian Baptist churches in the 1990s."
Mr Croome said Baptcare's inclusive policies were "a reminder that profound and positive social change is possible, and that Tasmania is at the forefront of this change".