A striking new advertising campaign was launched this week by North Lanarkshire Council to encourage more people to become foster carers.

The campaign asks people to act now to take the first steps to becoming a foster carer, and not to leave it to other people. It focuses on the question 'Why you?' and appeals for more people to come forward to help the 80 children in North Lanarkshire who currently need a foster home.

Adverts will appear in the local media as well as on buses and billboards around North Lanarkshire throughout May, coinciding with Fostering Fortnight (8 to 19 May) which highlights the need for foster carers nationally.

Councillor Harry McGuigan, Convener of the Social Work Committee, welcomed the new campaign saying:

"Foster carers play an invaluable role in helping the council to care for many children and young people every year who cannot live with their own families. Foster carers provide a safe, comfortable and loving family environment for vulnerable young people who are facing a difficult time in their lives. We are looking for more people to consider becoming foster carers, and we hope that this dramatic new advertising campaign will make people think about the issue and contact us.

"We know that often people might think it would be good to become foster carers but they don't do anything about it – they think that there will always be someone else there. The problem is that we have far more children who need a home than we have foster carers, and we really need people to take that next step and get in touch with us. We will give them information about becoming a foster carer and answer all their questions, and once they are approved as carers they will receive ongoing support from our team of staff.

"So please don't leave it to someone else – if you can help make a difference to a child or young person, then contact us now."

Foster carers receive ongoing training, support and advice from the social work department. A fostering allowance is provided for foster carers to cover the day to day expenses of caring for a child. The allowance does not affect state benefits or income tax.

Anyone interested in finding out more about fostering should call the council's freephone number on 0800 073 1566 or log on to www.whyyou.co.uk.