SOMERSET County Council needs more foster carers who are able to take a parent and child into their home.

With the ‘Parent and Child’ foster care scheme, a parent who is finding it difficult to cope with family life benefits from the reassurance and advice that the foster carers can provide, while the child is in a safe, nurturing and secure environment.

Parent and Child foster carers receive training and support and up to £566 per week, including a fee of between £100 and £200 a week plus fostering allowances for the parent and child.

Cllr Frances Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: “Parent and Child foster carers help build parents' confidence and help them learn practical parenting skills.

“This is a very rewarding type of fostering. People can pass on their parenting skills and work closely with social workers as part of a professional team to make sure a child is well looked after and stays with their parent or parents.

“ If people are interested in becoming Parent and Child foster carers all they need is lots of patience, room in their house, some experience of parenting, a willingness to learn, and a desire to help mums and dads in need of some guidance.”

A drop in information evening about Parent and Child foster carers will be held on March 12 from 7pm to 9pm at the Holiday Inn in Taunton just off J25 on the M5.

Visit www.fosteringinsomerset.org.uk or call 0800 587 9900.