Fife choir formed in foster care campaign

The Foster for Fife Choir is performing a song called 'Help a Child Belong'

A group of families in Fife have formed a new choir in a bid to urge, through song, more people to become foster carers.

The Foster for Fife Choir is performing a song which was written for them by Fife composer Ian Hammond Brown.

It is called "Help a Child Belong" and the message urges people to come forward to give a child a home at a vulnerable time in their life.

The choir has been singing in halls and shopping centres in Fife.

It is estimated about 800 foster families need to be found in Scotland in the next year to meet demand.

Rewarding job

Rae Ormiston, of Fife Council's children and families department, said: "We are constantly looking at creative ways to recruit and bring fostering to the attention of the wider public and that's exactly what the choir is doing.

She added: "Across Scotland there is a reduction in people coming forward. We've seen a slowing down of numbers, which is why we have to to publicise our need more and more often."

Nikki Perry, of the Foster for Fife Choir, who has taken on more than a 100 children in her 17 years as a foster mum, said she hoped the choir would emphasise to potential carers it was a very rewarding job.

She said: "It's a huge experience for everybody, seeing the children being able to move on and grow up and have children of their own and have a secure life which they've possible never had previously.

"If I had a bigger house I'd take another 20 children.

"But I don't unfortunately and we definitely need more foster carers in Fife."

Nine-year-old Brooklyn, who is a member of the choir, told what finding a foster family had done for him.

He said: "I like having a place to stay and I like having a family to take care of me. They're always kind to me."

The Foster for Fife Choir is thought to be the first of its kind in Scotland.