Our campaign in a bid to encourage more people to become foster carers is being hailed a success.

Ten times the number of people called Derbyshire County Council to offer their services as foster parents during the joint campaign by Adoption-net and the Derby Evening Telegraph called Give a Child A Chance which ran in June.

The county council's fostering helpline has taken 30 calls and has had five replies via the online form on Adoption-net from people interested in looking after youngsters in care. In a normal month that figure is usually around two or three calls.

Catriona Cummings, spokeswoman for the county council said: "We are very pleased with the number of responses we have received but we would like to stress that we always need more people to come forward.

"The people who have come forward have been sent a fostering information pack and their details will be passed to the relevant area office, depending on where in Derbyshire they live."

Mrs Cummings added: "If they decide to proceed they will be visited and assessed and the process will go on from there so it is impossible at the moment to say how many of those will eventually become foster carers."

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Derby City Council said during June the number of calls more than doubled to their fostering and adoption team. They had 30 calls as a direct result of the appeal which began on June 11. They usually get between 10 and 15.

John Ashton, group manager for the city council's fostering and adoption team, said: "We are very impressed with the number of phone calls we have had as a result of the campaign.

"Some of the people who have been in touch with us said they had thought about fostering before but not done anything about it.

"The articles in the Derby Evening Telegraph have prompted them to make that vital phone call."

Foster carers are particularly sought for children over the age of 10. Teenagers are always more difficult to place than babies.

Derby City Council wants to find 55 long-term foster carers, Derbyshire County Council needs 30.

To inquire about being a foster parent call Derby City Council on Derby 718000 or Derbyshire County Council on 01629 772211.

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