AN information day in Tavistock's Bedford Square next month will highlight to people visiting the town centre the importance and need for fostering.

As part of the National Fostering Fortnight in May, the Tavistock-based Fostering Foundation will hold an exhibition stand in the square, where social workers, staff and foster carers will be on hand to discuss and share information about fostering and becoming a foster carer.

Recent figures from The Fostering Network highlight that there are 53,000 children and young people living with 43,000 foster families on any one day.

They estimate that the UK urgently needs more than 10,000 extra foster carers, which means children are often moved from home to home, split up from their brothers and sisters and have to live a long way from their family and friends.

The Fostering Foundation provides a high level of support and training to all its foster carers and also provides a generous allowance to enable carers to provide a good standard of care for children and young people.

The exhibition stand will be in Bedford Square on May 20 and the Fostering Foundation in West Street will also have its shop window decorated by foster children to highlight the need for more foster families.

For more information call the Fostering Foundation on 01822 618068.