A NEW drive has been launched to find foster parents for troubled teenagers.

City of York Council has launched a campaign to find foster parents for about 16 children aged between 11 and 16 years - a difficult age to find foster places.

Howard Lovelady, group manager for the council's children's services team, said he was delighted with the public's response.

He said: "We have had as many calls in one week as we have had in the past five months. It has been a wonderful response and we are delighted. Most (children) just need a stable environment to keep them out of trouble and fulfil their promise at school."

There are currently 150 children in care with City of York Council, the majority placed with foster carers. The rest are either waiting for adoption, in residential care or placed with parents under a care order. Mr Lovelady and his team are keen to continue their recruiting drive, which is part of National Foster Care Fortnight.

They hope people with experience of working with teenagers will consider offering a family home to a young person, but insist anyone can become a carer, providing they can offer plenty of time and a supportive and consistent home for a teenager until he or she can return home or move into independence. Mr Lovelady said: "We are still keen for people who live in the city or within a radius of ten miles to come forward. We are also interested in people who will offer a foster home to young people with disabilities."

Under the council's strategy to find more foster parents, new carers will receive £500 a week for looking after teenagers with particular difficulties or severely disabled young people. A leaflet providing information on how to become a foster carer will be distributed to every household in June, with the council's About York newspaper.

For information, phone the council's foster care team on 01904 555333 or 613161.

Updated: 10:36 Monday, June 02, 2003