Fostering a new attitude to caring

A "severe" shortage of willing participants in the Capital means children - many of whose parents are incapable of looking after them - face delays in being placed in a sound environment.

Now it is hoped that, by highlighting the financial side of the arrangement, more adults who can offer stable homes will come forward. Previous campaigns have had success, but they have been geared towards the emotional satisfaction of stepping in to assist the city's foster children.

Placing an emphasis on cash was a tough decision to make, given the potential risk of people assuming carers were only involved for financial gain, but it is a gamble the organisation has to take.

In the process of publishing the numbers, the council added that it wanted to abolish some of the myths that surrounded foster caring.

Children and families leader Councillor Marilyne MacLaren said: "A carer can have a huge impact on a child's life, improving their confidence and helping them towards a happy future, but we don't expect that this comes without cost.

"We want to remind people that we do pay carers and that, for the right person, fostering could be a fantastic new career.

"Our foster care team are working hard to encourage more people to become carers but we still need lots of people from different walks of life." Carers who join up with the local authority are then paid as self-employed people, receiving a fee, allowances for food, clothing and the child's recreation, and ongoing training opportunities and support.

Extra funds for buying Christmas and birthday presents are also provided, meaning a weekly total can resemble that of a full-time job.

Bosses want to open up the potential market for carers, not simply targeting the traditional family who would be open to taking in children. Officials said it was perfectly straightforward for a single, gay or childless individual to foster.

Included in the campaign will be a woman who receives 600 a week for caring for two boys, and a man who cares for an 11-year-old with Down's Syndrome and gets more than 500 a week.

For more information on fostering and allowances, visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/fostering or phone 0800 174 833.

'I've had more back than I've put in'

JOYCE Sheriff has shown so much commitment to foster caring over the years that she was voted the UK's best mum.

The Longniddry woman, 54, signed up with the council after her own son Peter passed away following a long illness.

She said the benefits of fostering - she has helped 33 youngsters from Edinburgh over years - were far reaching, even before financial gain is considered.

She said: "I've had more from it than I have ever put in.

"They said in the nomination (for UK Mum of the Year] that they couldn't tell the children weren't related to me, that I treated them the same.

"It's very difficult when you get to the stage when they have to leave. It's heartbreaking, and the only way you can get through it is to think, if they didn't move on, you wouldn't be able to take another one in."