AS NATIONAL Children’s Day UK approaches (May 17), we’d like to take this opportunity to remind your readers of the thousands of cared-for children in Gloucestershire and Britain who are in need of foster care.

The special day, established by the United Nations in 1954, is all about the importance of children and how they have special rights and freedoms to help them grow into happy healthy adults.

For cared-for children, those rights are doubly important.

Unfortunately, however, they are too often denied the right to one of the fundamental starting blocks in life – a safe place to call home.

That’s because there is a desperate shortage of foster carers in Britain: another 8,600 families are needed.

Gloucestershire is no exception: we need dozens more families to help provide a safe place for children who find themselves in care through no fault of their own.

Community Foster Care is one of the agencies to which children with complex difficulties are referred in the county.

Day after day, our band of fantastic foster carers open their home and their hearts to youngsters who are vulnerable, frightened and in need of understanding and stability.

If any of your readers have been considering fostering, please remind them that there is plenty of help available to get them started.

HUGH PELHAM

Chief executive

Community Foster Care Gloucestershire