For many Christmas is a time for family and being with loved ones. This year 476 children and young people in Cambridgeshire will spend Christmas away from their families.

Cambridgeshire County Council needs more foster families to help transform lives and meet the needs of local children and young people this festive season. Although the service has seen an increase in enquiries during the last 3 months, more are still needed.

Foster carer Chris Strang said: “We became foster carers because we wanted to give children a home for as long as they needed it. We enjoy looking after children and it has certainly kept us young, and we love seeing the positive changes that our love and commitment has made. We would recommend it to anyone who has a caring nature - it really is rewarding.”

Jill Blose, fostering service manager for Cambridgeshire County Council, added: “Foster carers help to give children and young people a safe place to call home and this is something that every child deserves. For many children and young people Christmas can be a very unsettling time - especially when they do not have their families around them. Without the help of foster carers we cannot provide local foster placements for Cambridgeshire children and young people.”

Foster carers can be married, in a civil partnership, single or living with a partner. They can be from an ethnic background, in work, unemployed or retired. The council can offer generous allowances, including a start up package, 24 hour support and full training.

Anyone interested in finding out more information about fostering with Cambridgeshire County Council can call 0800 052 0078 or visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/fostering