PEOPLE across the borough are being asked to consider becoming foster carers to help meet the demand for families across the West Midlands.

The Fostering Network needs to find a further 910 new families across the region this year to cope with the number of teens in care.

The call comes as Foster Care Fortnight kicks off today (Monday June 1) and follows the findings of a new survey showing 40 per cent of fostered teenagers are already living with their third foster family since moving into care.

The findings highlight the need to find more people willing and able to foster teenagers. More foster families are also needed to offer homes to siblings and disabled children.

Jackie Sanders, director of The Fostering Network, said: “As each year passes, we see more and more children coming into care. We need people who can open their heart, and their homes, to vulnerable children and young people and use their skills to help support them to reach their full potential.

“In particular we need people who have the skills, patience and passion to look after teenagers who may have had a really tough time and be facing some real challenges, and to offer them love, stability and security.

“Fostering services across the West Midlands are working hard to recruit and support foster carers with the right skills so each child who needs it can have the home and family they need and deserve.”

There are currently 6,780 children and young people living with foster families across the West Midlands.

The Fostering Network says finding the right foster carer at the start of a child’s journey into care can lead to stability, improved relationships and a positive experience of childhood.

To find out more about fostering visit fostering.net