There are more than 7,000 children in the care system in Wales, but only 3,800 foster families.

In Cardiff, there are currently 400 children in foster care. There are 105 foster carers with Foster Wales Cardiff (their local council), but we need many more in the city.

Today, Foster Wales - the national network of 22 Welsh local authority fostering teams - set out with the bold aim of recruiting more than 800 new foster families by 2026, to provide welcoming homes for local children and young people.

Foster Wales Cardiff has joined the new campaign, ‘bring something to the table,' utilising their greatest asset - current foster carers - to share realistic experiences of foster care and explore the small but significant human attributes people possess that can make the world of difference to a young person in care.

Foster Wales has spoken to more than 100 people to develop the campaign - including foster carers, social workers, teachers, members of the public and care leavers.

The responses from these groups highlighted three key things stopping potential carers from enquiring:

• A lack of confidence in their skills and ability to support a child in care.
• The belief thatfostering doesn't fit with certain lifestyles.
• Misconceptionsaround the criteria to become a carer.

Armed with this knowledge, Foster Wales has drawn on real stories of carers in Wales to show that fostering with your local council  is flexible, inclusive, and comes with extensive training,  professional development opportunities and generous fees and allowances.

Claire and Heather from Cardiff have been foster carers for 14 years. They realise that the children they look after may not like routines such as bedtimes or sitting down at the table for dinner as it may not be something that they are used to.  However, with patience and perseverance, the children do settle.

Claire said: "With time, children in our care become  affectionate, they come and give us a hug and say, ‘you're the best foster carer' and ‘I love you'. These moments are really special.

"Fostering comes with its challenges but you must look at what you have achieved and the difference you see in a child is amazing."

Currently, Wales is in the process of a whole system change for children's services, following the Welsh Government'scommitment to ‘eliminate private profit from the care of looked after children.'

This means, by 2027, care of children that are looked after in Wales will be provided by public sector, charitable or not-for-profit organisations, and the need for local council  foster carers is greater than ever.

Cabinet Member for Social Services (Children) at Cardiff Council, Cllr Ash Lister, said: "I've had the pleasure of meeting some of our Foster Wales Cardiff foster carers who do an amazing job, supporting children by offering their skills, experience, empathy and kindness to ensure they feel safe and secure.

"But to be able to provide a welcoming home and the right foster carer for local children who need them, we need more amazing people to come to the table and offer their skills and experience.

"When you foster with Foster Wales Cardiff, you will have access to dedicated local knowledge and support from our team, a brilliant learning and development package and more importantly, you can help children stay in their own local community, close to friends, their school and everything they hold close.

"If you're interested in making a difference to a child's life in Cardiff, to bring your skills and experience to the table, then please get in touch."

The campaign begins on Monday 8 January across TV, streaming services, radio, digital, social media, and with various events in local communities across Wales. 

For more information about fostering, or to make an enquiry, visit:

https://cardiff.fosterwales.gov.wales/