Residents in North Lanarkshire have responded positively to a campaign to recruit more people as foster carers.

North Lanarkshire Council ran the campaign in May to highlight the need for more foster carers to provide places for vulnerable young people.

To date, the council has received over 170 enquiries from people interested in finding out more about what is involved in being a foster carer. Staff from social work have contacted all those who responded, providing information. The first group of applicants have now started the assessment process.

Councillor Harry McGuigan, Convener of the Social Work Committee, said:

"We are delighted with the number of people who have responded to our appeal for new foster carers, and I would like to thank everyone who has contacted us. Foster carers offer a stable and supportive home to children and young people facing a difficult time in their lives, and we know from experience that staying in a foster family is the most positive option for young people who cannot live with their own families.

"Our advertising campaign used the slogan ‘Why you?’ to challenge the public to take the first step to becoming a foster carer and not leave it to other people. We have far more young people who need a foster home than we have foster carers, so we are appealing to more local people to consider seriously if they could open their home to help care for a child or young person. As a result of the first stage of our campaign, we hope that many of the people who responded will go on to become foster carers, and help give a child or young person a helping hand in life.

"We recognise the vital service that foster carers provide, and we are committed to delivering the best services possible to children and carers. We have established a working group of staff and elected members to review fostering and adoption services, and will be listening to the views of our existing carers and taking action to improve further these services."

The council has introduced the payment of fees to foster carers to reflect the service that they provide, on behalf of the council, to the young people in their care. Carers receive an allowance to cover the day-to-day living expenses of the young person, and this will now be supplemented by the payment of fees.

The level of fees paid will depend on the experience of the foster carers, while the allowance will relate to the age of the child. The council has a training programme for carers to develop their knowledge and skills in the care of children and young people, in particular addressing the complex needs that the young people may have because of their circumstances.

Over the coming months, the council will continue its advertising campaign to highlight the need for more foster carers, For more information, call the council’s freephone number on 0800 073 1566 or log on to www.whyyou.co.uk.

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