North Tyneside's St Mary's Lighthouse has joined landmarks across the UK including the London Eye and Blackpool Tower, glowing blue in support of the care-experienced community. But while the lights celebrate care leavers, they also shine a spotlight on a growing national crisis; the severe shortage of foster carers.
00:00St Mary's Lighthouse on the north Tyneside coast has joined famous landmarks across the country from the London Eye to Blackpool Tower in a striking show of solidarity with the UK's care experienced community.
00:13The iconic lighthouse was illuminated blue to honour care leavers and their achievements but behind the celebration lies a far more urgent and growing concern, the national shortage of foster carers, a crisis increasingly felt here in the north east.
00:28Across the region more vulnerable children than ever are entering the care system, yet fewer carers are stepping forward to provide the safe, loving homes those young people desperately need.
00:38National figures show foster applications have fallen by 18% since 2018, while the number of children coming into care has risen by 7%.
00:47That mismatch has left the UK short of around 6,000 foster carers, a gap that councils warn is putting real pressure on placement availability in the north east.
00:57Local authorities say this shortfall has its far-reaching consequences. Without stable nearby placements, children risk being separated from their brothers and sisters or being placed miles away from their home communities, schools and support networks.
01:11Social workers warn that such disruption can lead to poorer outcomes later in life, affecting everything from educational stability and employment prospects to mental health and long-term wellbeing.
01:23But is foster care something you have ever considered? I spoke with locals to find this out and why they think there's been a decline both regionally and nationally.
01:32We've never thought about fostering, have we? I mean, we're too old now, anyway, we've got our own kids, haven't we?
01:37We've got five kids between us.
01:39But I am aware of the situation regarding fostering, because I'm a teacher, so I know that it's very difficult to get into as well, isn't it?
01:49There's a lot of restrictions and I think that makes it more difficult for people to foster these days.
01:56Yeah, I actually have considered fostering and adopting children.
01:59I think, especially with the way the world's going, I think it's important to look after the kids that are already here and maybe not bring more into a world that's not the best at the moment.
02:10I think maybe the reason why fostering is going down could be because people just don't want kids in general.
02:17I think the actual population is ageing, but not actually having many kids at all in general.
02:24So I think just a lot of people are deciding they don't want kids anymore.
02:27So why would they foster if they don't want kids at all?
02:29But we do know some people who do foster, don't we? And they love it, don't they? They get a lot out of it.
02:36Don't they love it? Well, it's very rewarding, isn't it? And they foster older children, don't they?
02:43You know, troubled children sometimes, children who have got challenges and that, but they find it very rewarding and fulfilling.
02:52For many young people, a secure foster home provides the structure and comfort they need at a table in time, and it can transform their future.
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