OXFORDSHIRE companies will be called on to sign up to a new covenant encouraging employees to become foster carers.

Oxfordshire County Councillor for Witney, James Mills, will put the proposal to the full council at a meeting next Tuesday.

His motion reads: “The covenant sets out ways in which employers and organisations can demonstrate their support to staff or members who foster, and how they can promote the role in order to create encouragement, and to help boost foster carer recruitment numbers.

“As a signatory, the county council has increased benefits for staff that foster for the council, introduced new incentives for all staff to recruit foster carers, and launched new initiatives to increase support to foster carers.

“The council urges directors, other employers and organisations to join us to help make Oxfordshire the most ‘fostering-friendly’ county in the country.”

His appeal comes after a series of Oxford Mail articles reporting how the county council wants to invest £180,000 to recruit more foster parents.

Mr Mills, a Conservative, wrote in his motion: “Foster carers play a vital role in the community. They care for some of our most vulnerable children and work as part of a team of professionals to help transform their lives. The council needs to recruit more local foster carers so that the increasing number of children coming into the care system can remain close to their schools, friends and support network.”