A RECRUITMENT drive has been launched to fill the vacancies of short-term foster carers in North Yorkshire.

According to North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC), the number of short-term foster carers fell ‘dramatically’ during the Covid pandemic as concerns spread over the disease.

Now, the county council are looking for new carers to sign up to a short break scheme to offer support to young people while their families are given the chance of time off.

Executive member for children and young people’s service at NYCC, Cllr Janet Sanderson, said: “If you are an energetic couple who would relish regular active weekends, we urge you to consider short break fostering.

“You would be putting your skills and energy to work supporting a local family with a disabled child – we offer tax-free payments and allowances and, of course, the emotional rewards are enormous.”

Short breaks are usually for regular weekends or overnight stays and sometimes for outreach support or day care in between. 

The aim is to ensure that the children have a positive experience, their needs are met and they are given the opportunity to enjoy new experiences and meet new people.

Anyone willing to offer at least one weekend per month to support a young person in North Yorkshire can contact Fostering North Yorkshire’s team online, via email at fostering@northyorks.gov.uk, or by calling 01609 534654.