A NATIONWIDE campaign to promote finding foster carers in the same region as the child they take in has seen a number of doors taken to various locations across North Wales and beyond.

These life-size front doors are part of the latest project of Foster Wales, a network comprising 22 local authority fostering services across the country, who are aiming to keep children who go into foster care in the same area.

At the end of September, a number of these doors visited regions of North Wales with foster carers including Conwy, where it was photographed on the Suspension Bridge, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Holywell, Wrexham and Ruthin.

Nicknamed ‘Door on Tour’, this was followed by the official launch of the campaign at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on Monday, October 4.

North Wales Chronicle: Foster carers, Gwynfor and Barbara Benllech next to the door in Anglesey. Photo: Jill JonesFoster carers, Gwynfor and Barbara Benllech next to the door in Anglesey. Photo: Jill Jones

Elin Lewis-Jones, fostering team manager, said: “We came up with our own idea of the ‘door’ travelling around and linking all North Wales authorities to highlight how closely we work together and now being part of Foster Wales.

“Following the event at the Senedd on the October 4, we all have our own individual doors and we hope to do more publicly with them.

“It’s just about keeping children local. Everyone wants the children to return home; that’s our ultimate goal.

“So, if you’re more local and can still see your family, then the chances of you returning home are so much greater.

“You might get one or two scenarios where a child needs to be away for safety reasons, but for the majority of the time, they need to be local, so we need local foster carers for local children.”

Welsh Government statistics showed that, at the end of March 2020, 84 per cent of children living with foster families were still able to live in their own area, keeping them closer to the community they were already familiar with.

For more information about Foster Wales, visit their website at: www.fosterwales.gov.wales. To apply to become a local authority foster carer, go to: www.fosterwales.torfaen.gov.uk.