Foster Care Fortnight, co-ordinated by the Fostering Network - the UK's leading charity for everyone with a personal or professional involvement in fostering - is an annual UK-wide awareness campaign which raises the profile of fostering and highlights the need for more foster carers.
- There is a shortage of 10,000 foster carers across the UK. Almost anyone can apply to be a foster carer, but as with any career, some people will be more suited to it than others. Foster carers must be able to offer the time, commitment, space and skills to care for children separated from their own families. Children in care can benefit enormously from the chance to experience a stable family life.
- There are just over 50,000 children and young people in foster placements in the UK on any given day. At least 37,000 of them are over the age of 10. There are nearly 43,000 foster families across the UK.
