Warning over foster carer shortage in Coventry

[dutchman]

There’s a warning more children in care in Coventry could end up being moved out of the city because of a shortage of foster families.



Of the 611 youngsters in care across Coventry, 450 of them are being looked after by fewer than 200 carers, with the others are in children’s homes.

Barnardo’s estimate across the West Midlands, 650 new carers are needed to satisfy current demand.

Joe Clifford, Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “We like to keep children as close to home as possible.”

“Ideally, they’d return to their own family once the difficulties that saw them removed have been resolved – but this is obviously more difficult if the child is no longer local.”

“What we’d like to do is to have good foster care homes for people wherever possible – failing that, we need to give them the best chances in life.”

For more information on fostering in Coventry, click here and in Warwickshire, click here.