AMID an ongoing shortage of foster homes for children and young people, new research has revealed that almost 40 percent of Southampton residents would consider fostering a child if they had a spare room.

With 68,540 students across the south east expected to leave their homes for university this month, Five Rivers Child Care, an independent social enterprise which has an office in Salisbury, is calling for ‘empty nesters’ to consider offering respite or long-term foster care to vulnerable young people.

There is currently a shortfall of 920 foster carers in the south east of England and more than 8,000 across the UK, with that number likely to grow given the increased rate in children entering the care system and the ageing population of foster carers.

Five Rivers Child Care commissioned a survey of 2,000 respondents to highlight the overwhelming opportunity September brings as thousands of students leave home for university. Only one in twenty students choose to remain close to home to study so for many parents across the UK, they will have a spare room or rooms that could be used to help a vulnerable child or young person.

While many students will return home during the holidays and after university, empty nesters can still support vulnerable children and young people by exploring respite care or emergency foster care.

Another recent report commissioned by Five Rivers Child Care revealed that 64 percent of the British public aren’t aware that foster carers are paid. Further misconceptions highlighted by the research included a distinct lack of awareness of the different types of people who are eligible to foster, with 60 percent of respondents unaware that those without their own children are eligible.

Commenting on the campaign targeted at empty nesters, Jem Orman, fostering services manager for Five Rivers Child Care for the south east, said: “It’s very encouraging to see that so many Southampton residents are receptive to the idea of fostering. While potential long-term foster carers are crucial to supporting the thousands of children in care across the UK, the industry is underpinned by those offering emergency and respite foster care, whether it’s to cover a foster family over a weekend or to care for a child in an emergency situation in the middle of the night. Being an emergency foster carer or short-term foster carer with Five Rivers Child Care offers career flexibility as well as unlimited training opportunities.

“I really hope that anyone anxious about their own children moving out to university in the next few weeks will consider how they could potentially help a vulnerable young person by using their spare room to become a foster carer.”

People from all walks of life can become foster carers as long as they are over 21 years of age, including single people, co-habiting couples, same sex couples and people living in rented accommodation; the only requirement is a room for each foster child.