Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke and Telford & Wrekin join forces in urgent search for local foster carers

Every year tens of thousands of children across the UK need someone to provide foster care in the event that they are unable to live with their parents or wider family for a number of reasons. An urgent search is now on to find new foster carers wanting to foster for their own local council in the Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke and Telford & Wrekin areas.

Foster for your council

Over 65,000 children live with almost 55,000 foster families across the UK each day. This is nearly 80% of the 83,000 children in care away from home on any one day in the UK.

There are around 44,625 foster families in England. However, the estimation is that fostering services need to recruit a further 7,000 new carers across the UK to keep up with the demand.

In Shropshire alone, Shropshire Council needs another 25 foster carers a year to join its service. A lack of local foster carers fostering for their local council leads to children having to be placed out of their local area, which is often the very last thing a child needs as continuity is so important for a child – including access to their extended family, friends and school.

Nick Bardsley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services and education, said:

“Fostering is hugely rewarding – hard work and sometimes very challenging – but immensely worthwhile. Just talk to someone who is fostering already – and find out more about why they do this very special job. You won’t regret it!”

To find out more about becoming a foster carer, please call 0800 783 8798 or visit http://www.shropshirefostering.co.uk/