Westminster appeals for more ethnic minority foster carers » Communities » 24dash.com

A new drive to find foster carers from ethnic minority backgrounds for children in local authority care has been launched by Westminster City Council.

Working with the charity Voluntary Action Westminster, the council's family placement team is aiming to recruit more foster carers from Black, Asian and mixed heritage communities.

The appeal comes as a recent council report revealed that despite an overall drop in the number of looked after children in Westminster, children from BME backgrounds continue to be overrepresented in the care system

In particular, the number of looked after children from Asian backgrounds now stands at almost 10% - around a three-fold increase since 2005.

Councillor Nickie Aiken, Chairman of the Children and Young People Policy and Scrutiny Committee, has written a letter to 700 community leaders asking for their support in getting more families involved in fostering.

Cllr Aiken said: "I would urge anyone considering fostering just to pick up the phone, make a call and find out what's involved. You could change a child's life forever.

"People do not have to have a big house, be in employment, be a couple, or have children of their own. And it does not matter if you are married, divorced, single or living with a partner.

"All potential foster carers undertake a comprehensive training programme and we also provide a range of courses to help foster carers develop their skills throughout their fostering careers."

There is also a need for specialist carers who can provide full-time placements for "difficult to place" and high risk young people aged between 10 and 18 who come from troubled backgrounds and experienced trauma or poor care previously.

Carers with specialist skills gained from working in a school or nursery or working with child mental health professionals are particularly welcome to apply for these roles.

Financial support is available to those fostering and foster carers with specialist skills can earn up to £36,000 per year.

Carers are also given comprehensive supervision, support and training from social workers.

Anyone interested in providing a home for a child should contact the family placement team. Email fostering@westminster.gov.uk or call the recruitment hotline on 0800 0322 533 for more information.