Andi Ellis Smith
Andi Ellis Smith is a full time parent of two, a daughter who is 6 years old and a son who is 3. Since becoming a parent, Andi has become heavily involved in advocating for LGBTQ+ Adoption and SEN. He provides peer support for LGBTQ+ and SEN parents and families through the Instagram page @Dadda_n_Daddy and is passionate about offering support to others going through the adoption process.
The page gives an honest account of what parenting adopted children can be like and gives an insight to the life of parenting a child with complex needs. The page has been shortlisted for a 2022 Fatherhood Award.
Andi has also contributed to the parliamentary manifesto 1001 Critical Days led by Andrea Leadsom MP. He is currently a regular on the BBC Tiny Happy People page and has also worked with organisations and charities including; Amnesty International, Unicef UK, Stokke Baby, Best Beginnings, MobiQuip, Ready Eddie Go!, Woburn Safari Park,The Modern Family Show and Toy Mania.
Andi also co-hosts and co-produces an LGBTQ+ Podcast called My Two Dads The Adoption Podcast. This gives real life experiences of LGBTQ+ adopters and helps others going through the process.
