Members of the St George and Sutherland Shire community are being encouraged to become foster carers as the number of children needing safe and loving homes far exceeds the number of registered carers.
Stretch-A-Family (SAF) is a non-profit local foster care agency encouraging families, couples and individuals to take on the fostering role.
SAF is currently undertaking a targeted recruitment campaign to find respite foster carers in the shire for an 11-year-old boy with special needs.
Almost 19,000 children are in foster care in NSW, and approximately 2,800 more children enter care every year.
Unfortunately, there are fewer than 12,200 households authorised to provide this crucial care.
Stretch-A-Family (SAF) is a non-profit local foster care agency encouraging families, couples and individuals to take on the fostering role.
"Due to the shortage of carers, more than 100 children are placed in alternative arrangements such as motels or hotels each night," says Kim Colvin, Carer Recruitment Team Leader at SAF.
"One of SAF's main aims is therefore to increase our carer numbers to ensure more children have stable homes in their own local area."
April and her husband Anthony (*names have been changed for privacy reasons) have been foster carers with SAF for five years.
"Being able to help a child take the suspicion out of their life, that people are always going to let them down, and give them the skills they need for life is so rewarding," April said,
"There are so many tiny unimaginable joys; the rewards are huge."
Stretch-A-Family (SAF) is a non-profit foster care agency in Marrickville, providing safe homes for vulnerable children and young people. We have been active since 1977, working to restore lives, families and communities.
Phone: 02 9569 6933
Details: stretchafamily.com.au/
