A FOSTERING service run by a charity is highlighting the urgent need for more people to provide care for older children.
Barnardo’s made the plea for help in Burton and South Derbyshire at the start of its national Fostering and Adoption week campaign, which runs until Sunday.
The charity’s East Midlands Family Placement service, based in Derbyshire but which also finds homes for young people in Staffordshire, revealed statistics that showed that nearly 12,000 of all the children who entered care in England last year were aged 10 and over — this includes children as old as 16 and 17.
This aligns exactly with the number of young people in the 12 to 16 age range who were referred to the East Midlands based service in the last year.
The situation is particularly worrying as there is a general shortage of foster families across the UK, with at least 8,750 new foster families needing to be found within the next 12 months — 500 of those in the Burton and South Derbyshire areas.
Barnardo’s manager Tracey Easter, said: “While there is considerable focus on placing babies and younger children, the needs of older children are being forgotten.
“All children deserve a loving home and older children need looking after just as much as infants and babies in order to thrive.
“We urgently need more people to consider becoming foster parents to children over the age of 10.
“We know from our experience that older children in care can need extra support.
“They need carers who can help them overcome emotional and behavioural difficulties, and provide much needed stability.
“We have seen many of the older children we work with blossom into healthy, happy adults after being placed with the right foster family.”
Barnardo’s is urging more people to consider putting themselves forward as potential foster parents particularly for older children.
The charity provides full training and further information is available by calling 01332 544711.
