Campaign launched for more foster parents in Hartlepool

The five Tees Valley councils of Middlesbrough, Darlington, Stockton, Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland have joined forces to recruit more foster carers to look after teenagers.

The Tees Valley Fostering campaign aims to find more foster carers for the region’s 1,300 children who, for various reasons, cannot live with their birth families.

Not enough people are coming forward to foster children over the age of 11, yet there are more than 600 children of this age group within the Tees Valley who need to be looked after.

The five councils want to recruit people who think they could support teenagers on a ‘long term’ basis, which is over two years and usually until the young person no longer requires the placement,.

The campaign began this week with a TV advert featuring real foster carers from the Tees Valley.

The Tees Valley Fostering team is also holding information events at Morrisons supermarkets to offer advice to anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer.

Sue Mansell, a Tees Valley Fostering spoekesman, said: “Every single young person within the Tees Valley is important to us and we have a duty to do everything we can to find safe and secure foster placements for children who need to be looked after. The reality here in the Tees Valley is that there is always a high demand for suitable foster carers, yet not enough people are coming forward who can support our teenagers.”

The Tees Valley Fostering team will be at Morrisons in Hartlepool Marina tomorrow, from noon to 4pm.

For more information, visit www.teesvalleyfostering.com, or tel 01429 405588.