SPEAKING out during Foster Care Fortnight, Darlington couple Melanie and Martin Stand are urging people across the North-East to open up their hearts and their homes to teenagers languishing in care.

Recent statistics show more than 3,200 children in the region are living with foster families and more than 450 new foster families will be needed this year alone.

Teenagers, children with disabilities and sibling groups are traditionally the hardest to place and with only 21 per cent of people in the North-East willing to consider fostering, many of these vulnerable young people may never be part of a stable and loving family.

This is a situation that needs to change, according to Mr and Mrs Stand, who recently fostered a 15-year-old from a troubled background.

The couple – both youth workers - spoke out to challenge misconceptions about teenagers in a bid to persuade families to consider fostering an older child.

“Society needs to step up,” says Mr Stand.

“Teenagers are not cute babies and they often get left behind but they deserve a home as much as a younger child and deserve a chance at family life too.

“The reason they are in care is usually not their fault. Neglect is rife among young people and they need to be looked after properly.

“Teenagers get a bad press and are always associated with anti-social behaviour but we have worked with them for years and the amount of “bad” young people I’ve come across, I could count on one hand.

“The majority are wonderful and want to be part of a family and contribute to society and they deserve that chance.”

Mrs Stand’s personal experiences of a difficult childhood spurred her on improve the lives of neglected young people.

She says fostering can make a world of difference to vulnerable teenagers.

“I’m from a difficult background and it made me realise how important it is for every child to have a safe home life,” she says.

“We are really lucky as we have a lovely daughter who fully participates in family life and, together with our two boys, we are a proper family.

“But she’s had a tough life and got a bum deal. When we met her, she would stand like a victim and had very little confidence but within six months, there has been a complete change in her.

“She is a different girl, from the way she holds herself to her confidence and self worth. The teachers at her school can’t believe it.

“Fostering can have a profound impact and is enriching not just for us and our daughter but for our friends and extended family too.”

The couple are desperate to dispel myths and highlight the fact that the majority of people can foster – regardless of background, sexuality or relationship status.

“We are just an ordinary family, nothing special and that is all it takes, ordinary families or people, to provide a sense of normality and stability for someone who might not have experienced that before,” says Mr Stand.

“It’s not always easy as many of these young people struggle with the most basic of things, whether it’s keeping good hygiene or knowing how to play with siblings and it’s not their fault, it’s just that nobody has properly invested in them.”

The couple are now calling for residents of their home town to come together and make a real difference to its vulnerable young people.

Mrs Stand says: “There are hundreds of children living in temporary homes in Darlington and that is outrageous.

“If just one in every 20 families here took in a child, lives could radically change for the better.”

Mr Stand adds: “If you give teenagers a chance, it’s better for society and changes the world by preventing another generation of broken adults.

“You might not be able to change the entire world but, by fostering, you could change the world for one person.”

The Stands worked closely with Darlington Borough Council in fostering their daughter, helping to ensure the family setting was right for all concerned.

Local authorities can offer a range of fostering opportunities, from emergency placements to respite care and longer term commitments.

As part of Foster Care Fortnight authorities across the region are holding information sessions. For more details, visit the relevant authority’s website.

Once approved, fosterers can receive an allowance and a professional fee.

Foster Care Fortnight runs until Sunday, May 25. For more information, visit fostering.net