Fostering is on the brink of crisis with a shortage of carers stripping children of the chance to live with a family, according to a leading charity.
Aberlour Children’s Charity is urging more Scots to consider fostering to help bridge the widening gap between the number of children in need of a home and the number of available carers.
Nicola Fearon, the charity’s head of fostering, confirms applications to become foster carers have dropped in recent years and believes there are a variety of factors for why that is the case.
She said: “In recent years, there have certainly been more carers leaving and fewer coming in. There are many reasons, from an ageing population and people caring more for elderly relatives to the cost-of- living crisis.”
Aberlour, which has been delivering foster care for more than 20 years, believes the pool of potential carers is wide and diverse.
Fearon said: “Our vetting will be thorough but there are few things that would automatically rule out potential carers. Children come from all sorts of backgrounds and carers come from all sorts of background too. It’s about empathy, not experience. We would encourage anyone who has ever thought about it, however briefly, to pick up the phone or send us an email.”
Care Inspectorate data covering the five years up to 2024 revealed only 178 new foster carers registered in 2023, the lowest number in five years, while 405 households came off the register.
Almost half of potential foster carers, with most receiving at least £20,000 to care for a child, were approved within six months. Fearon said while the responsibility of providing foster care can seem daunting to potential carers, it has the power to change the lives of children and carers alike.
She said: “The lives of fostered children can be transformed but so can the lives of carers and their own children and grandchildren. Our carers say the same things again and again. They will talk about giving something back, of giving a child a family and a home. They will say it’s challenging but the sense of making a real difference to a child’s life far outweighs the rest.”
Aberlour, marking its 150th anniversary this year in partnership with The Sunday Post, is the biggest Scotland-only children’s charity delivering more than 50 frontline services for children and their families across the country.
Lynne O’Brien, chief officer for children and families, believes wide-ranging expertise allows carers to receive exceptional support so they do not feel out of their depth.
She said: “Our foster carers are highly valued and we can draw on different services and expertise from across Scotland. Flexibility is key and we have the ability to be creative to tailor support for children and families.”
‘It’s about belonging and love’
It has not always been a bed of roses but, according to Aberlour Children Charity’s first foster carers, that’s kind of the point.
“It’s about being a family for children and every family will have ups and downs,” said Shona Stewart.
“You enjoy the good times and get through the bad times and you do it together as a family. It’s about belonging and love. That’s all it’s about, really.”
Shona and husband David were Aberlour’s first carers when the charity launched its fostering service in 2004. Experienced in social work and residential care, they were still surprised by the positive impact of fostering.
Shona and David (not their real names, to protect the privacy of their children) said fostering was life-changing for everyone.
Shona, 56, said: “When I was training as a social worker, we were told that if there’s one person crazy about you then you are more likely to succeed.
“We just wanted to be the people crazy for these kids.”
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