Urgent need for more foster carers

A child comes into care and needs a foster family every six hours across Scotland, the Fostering Network has revealed.

The alarming figure highlights the growing pressure on the care system and the scale of the challenge facing fostering services already struggling with a shortage of foster carers.

Last year, more than 24,000 children came into care and needed fostering, an increase of 17% compared to 2008. And the total number of children who are fostered has risen for five years in a row. On any one day there are more than 59,000 children living with more than 45,000 foster families across the UK.

An estimated 8,750 new foster families are needed across the UK in 2012 alone, and ahead of this year’s Foster Care Fortnight, which starts on Monday 14th May, the Fostering Network is urging more people to become foster carers.