Foster Care Fortnight in Scotland was launched
at Holyrood’s historic Queensberry House in Edinburgh, at an event
hosted by Adam Ingram MSP, Minister for Children and Early
Years.
Fostering colleagues joined with staff of the Fostering Network in celebrating Foster Care Fortnight and highlighting the need for 450 more foster carers for Scotland in 2008.
Sarah Crangle, recruitment project worker at the Fostering Network Scotland, said: "Finding 450 more foster families would simply allow us to keep up with the increasing demand for new foster homes. This would not address the need to increase the overall number of foster homes to offer placement choice or reduce the number of children in some foster homes to more acceptable numbers where children would get the support that they require and deserve. We remain concerned that current shortages result in situations where children are moved hundreds of miles from their family, friends, schools and clubs and expected to settle into a new way of life.
"Should we be asking foster carers to provide care for up to seven children, balancing all their needs, and when are they expected to get some time for themselves, or their families?
"Foster carers are doing an incredible job, dedicating their lives to looking after other people’s children and encouraging others to recognise the qualities they’ve got and to think about fostering."
Foster carers from Edinburgh, Falkirk and East Lothian brought to the Minister’s attention and discussed a range of issues from allowances to educational opportunities.