On Monday (May 14th) the Western Health and Social Care Trust will launch its annual initiative to find foster carers to provide loving and secure homes for children and young people who, for different reasons, cannot live with their own families.

It coincides with 'Foster Care Fortnight' and the Trust is promoting the slogan: 'Fostering Brighter Futures'.

The Trust is also highlighting the need for more long-term foster carers for vulnerable children in need.

Fostering is where you look after a child or children temporarily in your own home while their parents or carers are unable to look after them. You can choose to foster full-time or part-time, from day-care to a weekend, a few months or even permanently.

Usually, but not always, the child will return to their own home.

But some children face a more uncertain future and may need a long-term or permanent home.

Launching the campaign, Mr. Pat Armstrong, the Trust's Service Manager for Fostering and Adoption said, "People who have fostered tell us it can be the most challenging and rewarding thing they have ever done.

"However many people count themselves out of fostering as they don't think they will be considered.

"We need carers from all backgrounds and all walks of life to foster children and young people in the Trust area.

"The more carers we have, the better chance we have of finding the right match between child and carer."

In highlighting the need for long term foster carers, Mr Armstrong added, "As well as the need for short term carers, the Trust has an urgent need for long term carers for those children and young people who, for whatever reason, cannot return to the care of their birth families.

For such children, fostering provides a positive and loving experience of families and the reward for foster carers is to see their children enter adulthood with confidence".

Western Health and Social Care Trust currently have 130 sets of foster carers, who care for 180 children in need.

Due to the high numbers of children over five, sibling groups and teenagers in need of carers, Western Health and Social Care Trust's family placement team is particularly interested in hearing from anyone who is interested in fostering these groups.

All foster carers are provided with training and support, inclusive of financial support.

Posters will be given to existing foster carers to display in their local communities and adverts will appear in local magazines and newspapers from 14th May.

If you believe you could offer a child a home, the Western Health and Social Care Trust's Fostering Unit would like to invite you to an information evening.

You will be able to meet some of our current foster carers and social workers, who will be able to answer any questions you may have.

If you would like to find out more please come along to one of the venues below.

You won't regret it!

Two information evenings will be held locally.