S4M-13385: Fostering

04 Jun 2015

That the Parliament notes recent research by The Fostering Network, which suggests that there are now over 5,500 children living in the around 4,400 foster homes in Scotland, compared with 4,000 children in 2006; understands that the network estimates that, in order to support this increased number in 2015 alone, the country will need to find 750 new foster carers; praises the people who have opened their hearts and their homes to these youngsters, who can be vulnerable and often come from deprived communities, such as Shettleston in Glasgow; believes that becoming a foster carer can be a challenging prospect, and notes what it sees as the importance of being as supportive as possible of fostering and foster families.