MacKillop Family Services is in the early stage of its recruitment drive but was hoping to get up to 25 foster carers within the next six months.

"It is the never ending crisis of foster care," MacKillop Family Services Foster Carer Recruitment Manager Jasmine Perry said. 

"There are always more and more children coming into the system," she said. "There's already a shortage, but more so in regional areas because there are not as many services.

"Here in Bendigo, there is only one other foster care agency and it's a tough slog because Bendigo is a big area.

"We need more services to provide a better level of care."

Read more: 'You have to have flexibility': Anglicare reports 70 per cent increase in foster carer demand in Bendigo from 2017 to 2018

More than 10,000 children across Victoria are in foster care, while nationally that figure jumps to 50,000-55,000. 

Ms Perry said while not everyone could be a foster carer, the criteria was quite broad. 

"For me, there really needs to be that resilience," she said. "Carers are people who are opening their homes and their hearts.

"They need to have lots of compassion, good time management skills and also have a really good sense of humour.

"But we have single carers, couples, people who work full time, part time, same-sex couples - people from all backgrounds."

Ms Perry said the misconception around foster care often was that it was a long-term commitment, when in reality it could be much more flexible. 

There is the option of respite care, which only involves taking in the child for one weekend a month. There is also short-term care which can be a couple of weeks, months or a couple of years.

Long-term care is also an option and involves the foster carer looking after the child for two or more years.  

"If you have any questions, just give us a call," she said. "We have an enquiry line operator who has the time to sit with people on the phone and answer any questions." 

For further information on foster care, visit mackillop.org.au or call 1300 791 677. 

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