Charity urges Scots to consider fostering amid recruitment crisis
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 available carers.
Nicola Fearon, the charity’s head of fostering, confirms applications to become foster carers have dropped in recent years and believes the pandemic may be a factor.
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 lives, of children and carers.
She said:
Fostering can change things in the most positive ways imaginable.
“The lives of fostered children can be transformed but so can the lives of carers and their own children and grandchildren.
“Families begin to better appreciate what they have and what it might mean not to have it.
“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.
“Like any family, it can be difficult at times but it can be a lot of fun too.
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 that wide-ranging expertise allows foster carers to receive exceptional support.
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.
O’Brien believes the importance and value of fostering must be better recognised and called for stronger partnerships between local authorities and other fostering agencies.
She said:
There must be a wider acknowledgement of the crucial role played by foster carers, their commitment, experience and ability to transform the lives of children and young people.
“As a society, we must champion carers and offer them every possible support and encouragement because their work could not be more important.
“Children’s rights are at the heart of everything we do and we will continue to listen and learn from children, young people and families to deliver the best care and support.
Would you like to know more about fostering? We would love to hear from you.
A family affair: First foster carers reveal challenges and rewards
It has, they admit, not always been a bed of roses but, according to Aberlour Children Charity’s first foster carers, that’s kind of the point.
Shona Stewart said:
It’s about being a family for children and every family will have ups and downs."
“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 on their family.
Shona and David - not their real names, they would rather not be identified to protect the privacy of their children – said fostering was life-changing for everyone.
Shona, 56, said:
Even though we had worked in care, it was still a shock to have this child living with us.
“It felt a little scary, for her too because she hadn’t been with a family for so long.
“There had been long discussions about fostering but eventually we just decided to go for it, to bring these kids up alongside our own.
“Children need a family to grow. Families aren’t possible for every child but are the best way of giving them stability and seeing them through to adulthood.
“When I was training as a social worker, we’d be 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.
David, 58, said the demands of fostering are significant but so are the rewards.
He said:
There are a lot of great times, a lot of happiness, but it’s not the Waltons. It’s like any family but, because of their experience, foster children can bring an unpredictability.
When advising couples thinking about fostering, he encourages them to understand the reality and not romanticise the role.
He said:
Sometimes you hear people talk about ‘rescuing’ children but we’re not here to rescue anyone, we’re here to support and encourage them, to give them the chance to live happy lives.
“If we can do that, it’s enough.
This article was written for The Sunday Post and published on Sunday 11th May 2025.