Chosen Family

Category: Family & Parenting

Chosen family means the people who fulfil the role of a support system without being related by blood or marriage. It is sometimes called family of choice or found family, and it is deliberately distinguished from a family of origin.

It matters here for a plain reason: LGBTQ+ people build it in response to rejection or violence from the families they were born into, and for many it is not a supplement to that family but a replacement for it.

The practical consequence for anyone providing support is that it must be defined by the person, not inferred. Best-practice guidance asks specifically about support from chosen family "as defined by the young person", and — when someone is at risk — asks whether they want those people involved, on the same footing as a parent.