AMBITIOUS plans to find 100 more fosters carers in Wiltshire have been made by Wiltshire Council.

Wiltshire currently has around 165 foster carers and between 80 ad 100 more are needed in the next 18 months.

Jay Williams, Kinship and fostering manager at Wiltshire Council spoke at the launch of national Foster Care Fortnight and said that more families are needed across the whole county.

Speaking from the Trowbridge Community Area Future shop in The Shires, he He said: “It is an ambitious plan but our need for more in Wiltshire reflects a national picture. There are increasing numbers of looked after children.There’s lots of misconceptions about fostering. People think you need to own your home but you don’t have to and you have to be married but that isn’t the case and we welcome applications from the LGBTQ community for fostering opportunities. People also might think there is an age limit but as long as you are over 21 and fit and healthy you can foster. The group with the greatest need is children aged between 12 and 15 and that can potentially include groups of siblings.When people foster in Wiltshire it means that Wiltshire children stay within their communities, they can continue to go to their school and see their friends.”

“We have a greater need in West Wiltshire but we need fosterers across the whole county.

“If you can change one life you can change the world.

Andy Russell is a foster carer and chair of Wiltshire Fostering Association. He has been a foster carer for 10 years and added: “It really change lives. You see these children and my heart goes out to them.

“You can make a difference to children within our county and the Wiltshire Fostering Association is there to give support to fosterers and there are also events for the children.”

Foster Care Fortnight launched on Monday.