The Catholic Church in England and Wales is getting behind a nationwide scheme encouraging more Christians to adopt or foster children. 

The Church is working in partnership with the charity Home for Good, launched by theologian Krish Kandiah several years ago to inspire Christians to be part of the solution to thousands of children growing up in the care system. 

According to the charity, almost 3,000 children are waiting for adoption and a quarter of those (27%) have been waiting for more than 18 months. 

The Fostering Network also estimates that more than 8,600 foster carers must be found this year alone.

The partnership with the Catholic Church will officially launch on November 13 at the annual national gathering of Diocesan Marriage and Family Life Co-ordinators at Hinsley Hall in Leeds. 

The campaign will support communities in raising awareness of the needs of children and exploring together how Catholic parishes can respond by inspiring more people to become foster carers or adoptive parents, or supporting those that do.

Organisers of the Leeds conference said: "Adoption and fostering is part of our Catholic DNA, our Christian story and experience."

The new partnership comes shortly after National Adoption Week 2019, when Home for Good launched a drive to find more adopters and fosterers within the black and minority ethnic community. 

It says that there is a "significant" shortage of BAME adopters even though black children continue to be overrepresented in the care system.

Although black children account for 3% of the total population in England, 7% of the children in care are black.  However, last year only 2% of children adopted from the care system were black.