Drugs, domestic violence and poor mental health are among the reasons few fostered children are successfully returned to their biological family, according to a leading charity chief.
Matt Forde, head of service for NSPCC Scotland said such social problems, combined with neglect were leaving children at substantial risk of physical abuse and emotional harm.
He was speaking at the launch of the first findings from a pioneering scheme which aims to give parents every chance to resolve the problems which have led their children to be taken into care at an early age.
Most of the parents of 50 children fostered between the ages of six months and five years, took part in the with the programme which aims to help parents take back care of their children, but very few made the improvements necessary.
But while 29 parents of an initial 34 completed a course of treatment lasting around eight months, only six of an initial 50 children were able to be returned home.
Mr Forde said the scheme was successful if it enabled better decisions to be taken about the best place for a child to be.
[For more of this story, written by Stephen Naysmith, go to http://www.heraldscotland.com/...elmed__39__parents_/]
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