Stig Williams, along with his civil partner Philip, is the adoptive parent of three boys and has no doubt about the joys that parenthood has brought. “We love being a family. We love watching the boys grow up and seeing them develop. It has been such a wonderful thing. When we first told people we would have three children at once they thought we were joking.” The couple, who live in north London, adopted brothers Timmy, Reece and Josh just under five years ago, when they were four, five and six years old; in doing so, they have become part of a growing group of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) adopters who opt to care for “priority” or “hard-to-place” children.

Finding permanent homes for children and young people classified as hard to place – a term that encompasses many scenarios but is often used to refer to sibling groups, disabled or older children, youngsters from ethnic minorities and those with complex needs or behavioural issues – has been a challenge in the sector for a long time. But with increasing numbers of potential LGBT adopters coming forward in the years since government reforms in 2006, it has become apparent that many choose those children for whom a home might otherwise be out of reach.

According to Tor Docherty, chief executive of New Family Social, (NFS) data from the National Register, the national database of children available for adoption and approved adopters waiting for children, shows that LGBT people are more willing to consider adopting harder-to-place children.

There are a number of reasons why many same sex couples are keen to care for children with more challenging circumstances, she says. “Adoption is often the first route to parenthood [for LGBT people] and this can come with a different set of expectations,” she explains. “They are approaching parenthood in a non-traditional way and may be more flexible.” While many heterosexual couples consider adoption following fertility problems, and because of this can be more focused on babies or younger children, adopting one baby or infant might not necessarily be so important for LGBT people, she says.

Iain McNulty-Ringshaw, a founder of the charity and himself an adoptive father of two brothers, along with his partner David, agrees. He says that although many non-gay couples adopt children from difficult backgrounds or who come with specific challenges, there is sometimes “an empathy, an understanding” among LGBT adopters of what it feels like to be seen as “different” in society.

As parents of sibling adoptees, both McNulty-Ringshaw and Williams emphasise that as long as the adoptive parents are prepared for the fact that some unique difficulties may arise – for example attachment issues if the children had traumatic early years or if they were separated while very young – and seek support when necessary, the outcomes can be tremendous for the whole family.

There were challenges early on. But we have had a lot of support. It’s been a rollercoaster and it’s been amazing. Stig Williams

Williams recalls how, because his three sons were separated for a time when they were toddlers in foster care, he and his partner had to help them readjust - not just to a new home but to being together again. Post-adoptive support from agencies, as well as from their children’s school and their own social networks, all helped, he says. “There were challenges early on. But we have had a lot of support. It’s been a rollercoaster and it’s been amazing.” For others considering adoption of siblings or older children, Williams adds: “If you are ready to give it everything then it is the most rewarding thing in life.”

In the coming year, a number of initiatives will aim to capitalise on growing interest in adoption from the LGBT community. Barnardo’s, for example, is working closely with NFS in an effort to find more LGBT adoptive parents, especially for sibling groups and older children. Carolyn Oliver, the charity’s assistant head of adoption, says it is clear that many LGBT people are motivated to consider broader options when adopting and that if agencies can work together to recruit and support same-sex couples open to caring for priority children, progress can be made.

Gemma Gordon-Johnson, head of service at First4Adoption, the government-funded information service for people interested in adopting in England, says that the organisation is renewing its focus on potential LGBT adopters in 2014. One aim is to de-mystify adoption and inform people of all the choices, including harder-to-place children. “Educating and informing people about the options is key,” she concludes.

Docherty at NFS points to the broader encouraging signs around LGBT adoption and a growing evidence base – notably a landmark piece of research published in 2013 by researchers at Cambridge University – that children adopted by same-sex couples thrive and do as well as those placed with heterosexual couples. If efforts currently underway to recruit more LGBT adopters are successful, she adds, this would be a positive step for children waiting for homes, including those who are harder to place, such as sibling groups, who tend to wait much longer than others.