Today, there are thousands more children waiting to be adopted or fostered than there are people coming forward, to be mums and dads. The figures speak for themselves; more than 4,600 children are currently awaiting families and we need to find some 9,000 new foster families in the next 12 months.

Children's homes can provide the upbringing a young people deserves. Opportunities struggled for and achieved despite a system that actively undermines such success deserves national public recognition. Imagine the self-esteem that would be shared by young people and staff. Imagine the change in public perception.

Every 22 minutes across the UK, a child comes into care and needs a foster carer.

Just imagine being removed as a child from your parents, into a stranger's home, and split up from your brother or sister. Moreover, there are delays in care proceedings and an estimated 10,000 shortage of foster carers.

Last week Michael Gove gave a speech on the future of adoption. He challenged head on the belief that taking children from damaging home situations into care was itself damaging. As a foster carer myself I strongly welcome this clear and unambiguous statement. It is great to hear him say that care is a positive outcome for some children. Over the years, my wife and I have cared for significant numbers of children where we strongly felt that the rights of parents had come first, when decisions over whether to take children into care were being made.