POTENTIAL foster carers are being invited to attend an introductory session being held in Bromsgrove.

The session, organised by private Worcestershire fostering agency Nexus Fostering, is being held this Saturday, October 15, at Hilton Birmingham Bromsgrove Hotel on Birmingham Road.

Currently, there are around 690 children in care in Worcestershire – this is about 30 per cent higher than six years ago.

According to Worcestershire County Council there are many reasons for this significant upward trend including the economy, a county increase in mental health issues, drug and alcohol misuse and changes in national guidance.

But no matter what the reasons, the rise in these figures show a need for more foster carers within the county.

Grace Wyatt, director of the agency, is encouraging more people to sign up to become foster carers.

“We need carers to enable young people to have a positive experience of family life,” she said.

“To give them stability, routine, boundaries, support and care. We need them to guide and support the young person so they can develop skills which will help them into and throughout adulthood.

“We need people who enjoy the company of young people and who are resilient and can work as part of a team in the best interests of a young person - people who can be child-centred and put the needs of the child first and include them as part of the family and have fun.”

The fostering agency, which actively encourages carers from a wide variety of backgrounds, aims to keep young people in the areas where that already live when they can.

“In an ideal world, we aim to keep young people in their local area where they may already have friends and the consistency of their local school which may be their only haven,” she said.

“Of course there are also times when young people need to move away from their local area.”

There are some minimum requirements that potential carers need to meet.

“Practically, they need to have a spare bedroom and it is useful if they can drive - depending on where they live,” Ms Wyatt explained.

Grace added that fostering is a rewarding profession in which carers receive extensive training to ensure they can perform their duties to the best of their abilities as well as a weekly allowance.