Rising fears for children in need as foster services face fresh pressure

Charities appeal to families as crisis looms

A shortage of carers will pile pressure on a fostering system already struggling to cope, agencies fear.

Foster Care Associates Scotland (FCAS), one of the largest fostering groups in the country, has been looking for homes for scores of children since January.

FCAS has seen more than 100 children in need of a foster home each month between January and May, with the highest monthly total reaching 131. The second half of the year for the agency has seen more than 700 referrals.

The latest figures in Scotland show around 4,500 children were living with foster families in July last year. There are approximately 3,540 approved foster care households in Scotland. Every year hundreds of new foster families are needed in Scotland. Agencies are hoping the John Lewis Christmas advert, launched with Who Cares? Scotland and Action for Children, will encourage more foster carers to sign up. Amanda Lindsay, FCA Scotland’s registered manager, said: “Scotland is in dire need of more foster carers, and we hope this year’s John Lewis advert has gone some way in highlighting the need so more people realise the difference they can make, and start their own fostering journey.”

Alister Brown, the executive director for fostering charity TACT Scotland, added: “Scotland desperately needs more foster carers, especially for teenagers, so the advert is a very timely and welcome spotlight on a vocation that is both vital and often underappreciated. It shows the crucial role foster carers play looking after young people in the care system, and how they go the extra mile to make often traumatised children and young people feel safe and welcome, at a difficult time in their lives.”

The Fostering Network’s director in Scotland, Jacqueline Cassidy, said: “Across Scotland, we need around 500 additional foster families to make sure every child can stay with the right foster carer for them within their local area.”

Cassidy said finances were an issue and the introduction of a national minimum allowance was needed in Scotland to meet the needs of children in care. “All other UK nations have it,” she said. “The Scottish Government committed to introducing it in its manifesto in 2016, but have failed to follow through.

This is vital to enable children to flourish, ending the postcode lottery of care across Scotland and to counter the retention and recruitment crisis the fostering sector was already battling with prior to the cost of living crisis.”

Marie-claire Jones, communications director at Who Cares? Scotland, praised John Lewis for raising the issue. “A lot has changed in recent years with policy and legislation to improve the lives of care-experienced people. But in order to ensure every child and young person has everything they need to thrive, we need society at large to better understand care and embrace them in their communities. There are lots of misconceptions and stereotypes of care-experienced people that just aren’t true. We hope that by John Lewis shining a light on the community it sparks a curiosity within the public to find out more and increase their understanding. Only then will we be able to make meaningful change and ensure each and every child has what they need to grow up feeling loved, safe and respected.” Meanwhile, agencies have called for people to consider fostering. “We are looking for individuals and families in Scotland who want to make a difference that lasts a lifetime to a child. Fostering transforms the lives of those in your care as well as your own,” Lindsay said.

Brown added: “There is a major shortage of foster carers in Scotland, and TACT Scotland feels a national recruitment campaign for more much-needed carers is overdue.”