Media Release Tuesday 23 September 2014

With many children and young people in need of foster care in the ACT, Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services Nicole Lawder is pushing for an increased profile of foster caring in the wider community.

"More than 500 children are living in out of home care in the ACT with more than 40 thousand across Australia, a number which is rising every year. The number of children in foster care in the ACT has also doubled since 2003," Ms Lawder said today.

"September is Foster Care Month and I will be speaking in the Legislative Assembly tomorrow to pay tribute to all of the carers who care for young people who need help.

"I want foster care to be a priority for the government and the community because there are still many children and young people in the ACT in need of immediate foster care.

"Anyone who is considering providing foster care should be encouraged to think about it seriously. It’s an incredibly enriching service and should be applauded," Ms Lawder concluded.

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Contact: Joe Prevedello 0402768432