SCOTLAND NEEDS "HUNDREDS" OF new foster parents, charities have warned, or vulnerable children could be left languishing in care, unable to rebuild their lives.

The call for volunteers comes at the beginning of foster care fortnight, which starts tomorrow. It is hoped the annual awareness campaign will show people the benefits of fostering and encourage more families to take in children who otherwise would remain in care homes.

Robert Tapsfield, the Fostering Network's chief executive, said: "Without these much-needed new foster carers, too many fostered children will continue to be denied stability in their home and school life, which is key to success later on.

"While almost anyone can apply, foster carers need special qualities and some people will be more suited to it than others. This year's campaign identifies the qualities needed to be a foster carer - qualities such as being optimistic, having good listening skills, being able to see things from a child's point of view and having a sense of humour - and encourages people to recognise these in themselves."

There are many problems in encouraging people to foster. Families are often unwilling to take teenagers, for fear they could turn violent or engage in alcohol and substance abuse. Others fear that the level of commitment to get a child's life back on track is too much for them.

As a result, local authorities often struggle to place children who have either been taken away from their parents or abandoned.

Rosalind Khoosty, a social worker at FosterPlus, helps local authorities find homes for around 30 children a year. One of the biggest gaps is the lack of male foster carers, she claimed, and estimated that barely one in 10 volunteers were men.

She said: "There are never enough foster carers - it's a historical issue. To be one you need to be a special kind of person in terms of your kindness, generosity, time and commitment."

Finding foster carers who can deal with the many problems of children taken into care is an "enormous" challenge, she continued. Children have had to contend with abusive, alcoholic or drug-dependent parents or have taken to drink and drugs themselves. Others can be violent or out of control.

Besides these factors, fostering can be a "very fulfilling vocation", Khoosty added. "It gives people extreme satisfaction when they watch a child making just a small step. To see a child go back to their family, rehabilitated, and know that you've supported them along the way can be very rewarding.

"There are going to be a lot of happy times spent with a child; it's not all challenges. A lot of people feel like they're giving back to their community by fostering, because being in a family is the best environment for children to be in and you can see the benefit to their lives."

Donna Scott, 53, from Linwood in East Renfrewshire, started fostering after her own children left home and described the experience as "more up than down". The first child, who was from a very chaotic family, was supposed to stay for six weeks but ended up moving out a year-and-a-half later.

When the child first moved in, they could barely dress themselves for school, but left confident, socially engaged and with renewed self-esteem.

The second child was a tougher case, having suffered sexual abuse, but Scott convinced them that the abuse was not their fault.

She said: "I said that there were bad people in the world doing bad things and that the children involved were not to blame. Unfortunately, that particular child left abruptly, after getting quite violent and aggressive. I was shell-shocked, but there was help for me from foster support immediately so I was happy that there were people better qualified than me to work out what's going on their wee heads."

She currently fosters two siblings aged three and six who had been passed from home to home. The pair will now stay with Scott until they reach adulthood.

She continued: "There has been a big improvement in the siblings, especially when they're speaking to other adults. They're very good, very articulate and precise.

"Their social manners are really good compared to the beginning. They used to be like two wee monkeys, just running about, and now they're doing great. It's a success story.

"If you've got a nice room and you've made a good job of your own children, think of the good life you've given them and realise you could give that to children that have gone into care.

"There's lots of support and training to help you get through the hard times. I don't think enough people are involved and I would encourage them to consider it."