With national Foster Carer Week starting on Sunday, Bendigo's MacKillop's Family Services is encouraging people to consider the role.

"People think foster care is something that is needed in other communities or only in larger cities," recruitment coordinator Jenn Lindupp said.

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"But right across Australia, in every local town and community, for a wide variety of reasons, there are kids who need safe homes where they are nurtured and secure.

"What children in the Bendigo region urgently need is the stability that long-term foster carers can provide.

"We know that stability is key to a young person's wellbeing as is keeping them within their local community where they can maintain connections and thrive in a familiar environment."

Woodend resident Abby Shae and her partner Nick have been foster carers for the past five years.

Ms Shae said they have cared for more than 20 children in what has been a "challenging but rewarding" experience.

"I always knew that was the path I wanted to go down, even when I was really young I knew," she said.

"After we finished having our three biological children, it was just the next natural step.

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"It enriches your life in so many ways. It's such a beautiful feeling to see these children settle into a nice, warm, loving environment."

Ms Shae encouraged others to start the process to become a foster carer.

"If it's something you're thinking about, just enquire," she said. "You will not regret it. The process is 100 per cent worth it."

Ms Lindupp said people from all backgrounds and circumstances could apply to be a foster carer.

"We are putting the call out for people to think about how they can support local children by opening up their home and making that difference to a child's life," she said.

For more information on becoming a foster carer, visit mackillop.org.au or call 1300 791 677.

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