The council has joined a local authority partnership to address the shortage of foster carers across the South East.

Brighton and Hove City Council is now part of newly launched Local Authority Fostering South East, a virtual fostering hub that brings together 20 councils.

There are more than 11,000 children in care across the region, while there are only 3,000 local authority approved foster carers, with the hub set up to address this “urgent need to recruit” people for fostering.

Users of the new hub will have access to centralised information about fostering and will allow local authorities to work together to provide the best support.

Councillor Emma Daniel, Brighton and Hove’s cabinet member for children, families and youth services, said: “Choosing to become a foster carer is such an amazing thing to do and it’s important anyone keen to get involved is given not just the opportunity to discover whether it is right for them, but also the best possible support and guidance.

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“This exciting new collaboration will do just that and ultimately help more people have a profound and lasting impact on the lives of the many young people in need of a loving, supportive and welcoming family home.

“We are always keen to meet more people interested in becoming a foster carer and this collaboration should make the entire process easier to navigate. We would love to hear from anyone who wants to take the first step."

Natasha Sampson, South East regional strategic lead, said: “This is a really exciting time for fostering. For the first time in the South East, we are leveraging the collective skills, knowledge, resources and support of 20 local authorities to ensure children and young people have a stable home in a loving family, which they all deserve.

“The new hub will make this possible by increasing the number of local foster carers and making sure they are well supported through their recruitment journey and beyond.

“I would urge anyone interested in fostering to get in touch with us to find out more about becoming a foster carer with your local authority.”