By MICHELLE HERBISON
FOSTER care provides homes for up to 150 youths in the Geelong region and the numbers are increasing, according to MacKillop Family Services.
Chief executive officer Micaela Cronin said MacKillop was “constantly recruiting” families to become foster carers due to a growing shortfall.
“We’re finding there are more people who stop being carers than we have new carers. We’ve got over 50 kids in care and other organisations have more than that.”
Children in foster care had most commonly been removed from their families by the courts due to mental health issues, drug and alcohol problems and family violence, Ms Cronin said.
“There are thousands of children in foster care and this number unfortunately grows every day. What these children need most is a safe and nurturing place to call home, so that they can begin to live the kind of childhood they deserve.”
