A SHORTAGE of foster parents is affecting the North-East and North Yorkshire as more children are being put into care.

Councils across the region need to recruit more than 200 carers to stave off a crisis.

A national campaign is being launched by The Fostering Network next month to find thousands of suitable carers to fill the gap.

Figures show there are more than 50,000 children and young people living with 37,000 foster families in the UK, with many more living in residential homes.

The Fostering Network estimates there is an urgent need for 8,000 extra carers to provide a good placement choice and prevent children being moved from home to home and being separated from brothers and sisters.

In the region, councils surveyed by The Northern Echo said they were especially short of foster families to look after teenagers.

North Yorkshire County Council last year launched a campaign designed to recruit an extra 100 foster parents over the next three years.

John Heron, manager of the council's child placement unit, said: "The campaign itself generated a good response.

"The number of children looked after is going up, that is a national phenomenon."

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's foster team manager, Chris Priestman, said: "We are particularly focusing on carers for teenagers and carers who can take emergency placements in a crisis situation.

"And for the carers, there is no real criteria. They can be single, married, have their own home or rent one, it really doesn't matter."

A Stockton Borough Council spokesman said: "We'd be very interested to hear from people who would be able to look after children of all ages, but we would be particularly interested to hear from people who think they could care for children in the six to 11 age range."

Jackie Sanders, of The Fostering Network, said: "A wider pool of carers would enable us to meet the children's wider needs.

"Some children are being moved a long way out because of local shortages, sometimes out of town, and if they have siblings they are being split up."

A Durham County Council spokesman said: "We need a wide range of people to provide foster homes because of the varied needs of different children.

"There are many types of fostering from overnight emergency carers to those who can offer a home for a much longer period of time."