Renfrewshire Council is struggling to find foster care placements for babies, councillors have been warned.
The issue was raised during Thursday’s meeting of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board as officers discussed pressures facing children’s services across Scotland.
John Trainer, Renfrewshire Council’s Head of Child Care and Criminal Justice, said the situation had become a significant concern.
He said: “For the second time in a number of months, and now being a much more sustained issue, we are absolutely struggling to find foster care placements for babies. That is not something that I have ever experienced in my career before. It is not unique to Renfrewshire, but it is a significant issue across Scotland.”
Mr Trainer said some babies were being born to mothers who were unable to care for them, while suitable placements were becoming increasingly difficult to find.
He said: “Babies are born to mothers who are not able to look after them, and there are no kinship care placements available. We do not have foster care placements available, and we are making incredible requests and demands of our current foster carers to take additional children.
“I genuinely believe that we are facing a national crisis around foster care.”
The meeting heard the council was continuing to assess potential foster carers, although officers warned the process could not happen quickly.
Mr Trainer urged councillors to help promote fostering within their local communities.
He said: “My intervention is to highlight a significant risk to you as elected members about our ability to offer safe placements to children and to highlight the important role that you, as councillors, have in terms of your connections in the community to raise the needs of foster carers.
“When you are meeting community groups, churches, schools, parent councils and your own networks, please promote the need for carers.
“Renfrewshire is a good place for foster carers to be associated with. We work hard to support them, but we are genuinely in need, so please make that a point.”
Education convener Councillor Emma Rodden described the issue as “very important” and encouraged anyone considering fostering to come forward.