The family you’re born with and the family you choose

As National Family Week approaches (25 to 31 August), Action for Children highlights the need for nearly 9,000 new foster families across the UK - and asks more people to consider fostering.

Over the past few years, an increasing number of children have been coming into the care system in need of a foster family. In fact, another child enters care almost every 20 minutes.

Alison and her family recently started fostering through Action for Children: "William's changed our lives massively; in a good way! Everything's changed for him too. He's not only grown in confidence, but physically - he's now wearing clothes for his age group."

"There are so many people who don't even realise they have the qualities and character to be an amazing foster carer," said Jill Thorburn, one of Action for Children's Fostering Managers.

The shortfall of nearly 9,000 foster families means that too many children are at risk of not getting the right foster home first time round, which heightens the chances of a fostering breakdown and the child's return to residential care.

Jill continued, "We know that a stable, loving foster placement plays a crucial role in transforming the lives of some of the UK's most vulnerable and neglected children who, for a variety of reasons, cannot be with their birth families this National Family Week."

If you are interested in finding out more, please visit our Fostering webpage.