According to the latest government statistics, almost 12,000 – or 43 per cent – of all children who entered care in England last year were aged between 10 and 17. Of those children, 80 per cent were taken into care for the first time.
Barnardo’s argued that finding adoptive families for these children is becoming increasingly difficult.
This is partly because of the emphasis on placing babies for adoption, but also because of a general shortage of foster families across the UK. The charity estimates that at least 8,750 new foster families will need to be recruited within the next 12 months.
Barnardo’s chief executive Anne Marie Carrie said the needs of older children are being forgotten.
"All children deserve a loving home and older children need looking after just as much as infants and babies in order to thrive," she said. "We urgently need more people to consider becoming foster parents to children over the age of 10.
"We know from our experience that older children in care can need extra support. They need carers who can help them overcome emotional and behavioural difficulties, and provide much needed stability.
"We have seen many of the older children we work with blossom into healthy, happy, adults after being placed with the right foster family. Which is why I want to encourage more people to open their homes and their hearts to help to transform an older child’s life".
Dee and George Collins have fostered three teenage girls over the past three years. Dee said: "Before I became a foster carer I didn’t realise how much support children need. But it didn’t faze me and I learned a lot from the first child I cared for. You realise that what you can do for these children can make a big impact on their lives."
