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Children in foster care 'disrupted by repeated moves'

Action for Children says more long term foster homes are needed Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

A charity says the lives of many North East children in foster care is being disrupted by repeated moves to new homes.

Action for Children says in our region, almost a quarter of fostered children were placed with new carers at least twice over a year.

It says this cycle is disruptive and can heighten behavioural and emotional problems.

'For children in care, moving home is not just about leaving a house. It means leaving a family, friends, school and everything that's familiar to start again."

– Sue Atkinson-Milmoor, Action for Children North East

Action for Children says its figures come from a Freedom of Information request to local authorities, focusing between April 2014 and March 2015.

Not all councils responded. From those that did, the charity calculates that 2,903 foster children were in care across the North East during that period. 675 were moved twice or more within that time.

Today, Action for Children launches a new fostering campaign, urging people to consider giving a home to children in need.