More people urged to be foster carers

A Highland couple have urged more people to become foster carers and provide a stable home for children.

Every day 4,000 foster families across Scotland are providing nearly 5,000 children and young people with a home.

In the Highlands, 150 children are living with 130 foster families.

The Fostering Network is using this year’s Foster Care Fortnight, which runs until May 24, to highlight the work of carers and call for more people to come forward.

Ian and Audrey, who have been foster carers for the past 15 years, said: “Fostering is very rewarding and we would love to see more people come forward to do it.”

“Foster care transforms the lives of children and young people”

The couple decided they would like to foster as they had plenty of space and recognised that there were children who needed a home.

They offer “honesty, unconditional love, security and boundaries which we hope will help the children we care for to have a sense of selfworth and happiness in the future”.

The couple, only identified by their first names, say lockdown has been a “busy but fun” time and feel very fortunate living in the countryside where they have lots of outside space.

Kevin Williams, chief executive of the Fostering Network, said: “Foster care transforms the lives of children and young people as well as those of the foster carers and their families.”

“This has never been more important,” he added.