Foster carers from all walks of life 'urgently needed' in North Somerset

Approximately 200 children in North Somerset are in foster care at any one time and Fostering North Somerset need more foster carers to meet the range of needs of children and young people from the area.

Fostering North Somerset is keen to spread the message that foster carers can be from all walks of life and should reflect the diversity across North Somerset.

Approximately 200 children in North Somerset are in foster care at any one time (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Cllr Catherine Gibbons, North Somerset Council executive member with responsibility for children and young people’s services, said: “Unfortunately, there are still many myths about who can and can’t foster which can often put people off from coming forward – but they aren’t true.

“There are certain criteria that need to be met, but we’re happy to talk to anyone who’s interested and we want our foster carers to reflect the whole of our North Somerset community.

"Even if you don’t meet the criteria now, our fostering team will talk to you about how you might in the future.

Cllr Catherine Gibbons. (Image: NSC)

“The sad truth is we don’t have enough foster carers in North Somerset.

"At the moment, nearly a third of our children and young people have to be placed with external Independent Fostering Agencies, which means they might be cared for away from their local communities, schools and familiar surroundings, through absolutely no fault of their own.

“We urgently need more people from our local communities to become foster carers.

"By coming forward you could help us increase the number of foster carers in North Somerset, meaning we could place more children and young people local to their home community. We’d really love to hear from you.”

If you would like to find out more about becoming a foster carer, get in touch with Fostering North Somerset by calling 01275 888 999, email fostering@n-somerset.gov.uk or visit www.n-somerset.gov.uk/fostering.