The Bishop of Rochester, James Langstaff, is calling for more people to consider fostering and adoption in a bid to find a home for every vulnerable child as part of a new initiative.

The Diocese of Rochester has joined forces with charities Home for Good and Diagrama Foundation to find more foster carers and adopters to care for children who wait the longest to be placed in families.

Home for Good is holding a series of events across Kent and parts of Bromley and Bexley.

Home for Good is a national charity which exists to find a home for every child who needs one in the UK by motivating individuals from within the Christian community to step forward to foster or adopt

Bishop of Rochester, James Langstaff, said: “Children in care are some of the most vulnerable in our society in need of safe and secure homes. It is only right that as a Church we do all we can to ensure that there are people ready and willing to open their homes to these children. We want the Diocese of Rochester to be known as a place with the highest levels of care for vulnerable children.”

Krish Kandiah, founder and director of Home for Good, who is also a foster carer and adopter himself, said: “At the heart of fostering and adoption is a radical hospitality that puts the needs of the vulnerable above our own. If just one household from every church were to step forward to foster or adopt a child who is considered harder to place, then no child would have to wait for a family willing and able to care for them.”

Last year the number of fostering applications dropped by a third. Nationally, there is a need for over 9,070 new foster carers in the UK in 2017-18, according to the Fostering Network. Carers are especially needed for children over the age of ten, in sibling groups of three or more, and children with additional needs.

Children considered ‘hard to place’ for adoption are those who are five years of age or older, are part of a sibling group, are from black and minority ethnic groups, or have additional needs. There are over 40 hard to place children currently awaiting a home in Bexley, Bromley, Kent and Medway.

Home for Good is hosting evenings for anyone interested in finding out more and current foster carers and adopters on September 12, 7,30pm at Christ Church, Main Road, Sidcup, DA16 6N, November 14 at 7.30pm at Christ Church, Chislehurst, 40 Lubbock Road, Bromley BR7 5JX, November 23, 7.30pm at St Peter’s Church, College Road, Hextable, BR8 7RH.

All events are free to attend and refreshments are provided.