Cumbria gets foster carers on board

Cumbria Council is trying to recruit foster carers by advertising
for them on buses.

For the past month, buses in Barrow in Furness have been carrying a
message urging people to consider becoming parents for the 60
children in council care waiting to be fostered. It is asking for
them to “take 60 seconds to think about fostering and whether they
could give a permanent home to a child in need”.

The campaign highlights the shortage of foster carers in the
country – the Fostering Network estimates a shortfall of about
8,000 – and the lengths some councils are prepared to go to find
new carers.

The council believes many potential foster carers are worried that
they would find it difficult to give up the child. Its campaign
aims to highlight the fact that some children need long-term
fostering.

It is offering weekly allowances of between £93 for
under-fours to £168 for over-16s.