A fostering agency has reported a 37 per cent rise in children needing foster care during the coronavirus pandemic.
Barnardo's NI said there has been a surge in referrals amid bereavement and heightened financial and mental health pressures during lockdown.
As it marks Barnardo’s NI Fostering Fortnight, the charity said there is now a "serious need for more foster carers in Northern Ireland" and is urging more people to consider fostering vulnerable children.
It warned it "expects referral numbers to climb even more now schools are open and as teachers and other professionals identify vulnerable young people as needing the support".
"It is more important than ever for people to come forward to find out about fostering, to ensure the right foster carers are there when children and young people desperately need stability and a loving family."
Barnardo’s is calling for people in particular who believe they could offer care for children who are disabled, have siblings, those who are aged 10 and older, or those who come from a religious or minority ethnic background.
Michele Janes, head of Barnardo’s NI, appealed to people to "help give vulnerable children a loving family".
"All of our foster carers will have access to specialist training and will be supported every step of the way by a dedicated support worker," she said.
"They will also be eligible for financial support including carers' allowance.
"We welcome foster carers from all walks of life and backgrounds, so it doesn’t matter if you are single or with a partner, male or female, a home-owner or renting, straight or LGBTQ+ and from any ethnic, religious or cultural background, we want to hear from you."
Rosie McKee and Sue O’Neil from Belfast have been fostering for more than five years.
Ms O'Neil said: "Rosie and I try to teach the children and young people life skills, to support them to become as independent as possible and help to empower them.
"They join in with things like cooking and gardening. Simple skills like that are practical for later life."
Ms McKee added: "To be a foster carer you need to have empathy and put yourself in the child’s shoes. You can’t expect the child or young person to come into your home and behave the way you want them to behave.
"You also need to be resilient, so when things don’t go the way you would like, that’s fine. It’s okay to make mistakes and to learn from them together.”
For further information, visit www.barnardos.org.uk/foster/northern-ireland.
