Would-be foster carers are being put off because of the wide variations across Scotland in the allowances paid out, a leading charity has claimed.
Research by Fostering Network Scotland showed that 17 local authorities paid the recommended rates while 15 did not.
The group's Bryan Ritchie said recruitment was lower among councils failing to make the allowances grade.
Scottish council umbrella group Cosla said it recognised the valuable role of foster carers.
However, it said there were big pressures on funding for children's services.
The Fostering Network Scotland believes the minimum required to care for a foster child should start from £118.60 per week for children under 4 and go to £168.18 for a teenager.
It said it was pleased that the number of councils reaching this minimum recommendation had risen from 11 councils in 2006 to 17 in 2007.
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But it remained worried that almost half of Scotland's councils were "leaving too many foster carers with the choice of dipping into their own funds or seeing their foster children go without".
Mr Ritchie said: "In terms of recruitment and retention there is clear evidence to suggest that those authorities that are struggling to pay our allowances and adequate fees for foster carers are also struggling with recruitment and retention."
The organisation's annual survey also found that 41% of local authority foster carers received no payment in remuneration for their work, despite the fact that 59% of them had no other form of employment.
In addition, the study showed that across Scotland 67% of foster carers received less than the minimum wage.
At least 3,700 children and young people were in foster care at any given time in Scotland and the figure continued to rise year on year.
Adequate support
Fostering Network Scotland's report concluded that much more needed to be done.
It said: "Local authorities and the Scottish Government must move much further and faster to ensure that all foster carers are able to receive a living wage for the work that they do, meeting first the minimum wage then moving to levels comparable with other occupations in the childcare workforce.
"Local and national government must work together to provide this increased investment that is essential to ensure all foster carers, children and young people looked after can be adequately supported."
A statement from Cosla said it supported the case made by the Fostering Network to increase allowances.
It added: "It is promising to see the increase in the number of authorities responding positively.
"During the committee stage of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007, we supported the proposal that standard minimum allowances should be set across Scotland, at the rate suggested by the Fostering Network.
"However, society as a whole has to recognise both its responsibilities and the strong funding pressures on children services."
| FOSTER CARERS - RECOMMENDED ALLOWANCES | |
| COUNCILS MEETING RATES (2007-2008) | COUNCILS NOT MEETING RATES (2007-2008) |
| Aberdeen | Angus |
| Aberdeenshire | Argyll and Bute |
| Clackmannanshire | Edinburgh |
| East Ayrshire | Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |
| East Dunbartonshire | Dumfries and Galloway |
| East Renfrewshire | Dundee |
| Glasgow | East Lothian |
| Moray | Falkirk |
| North Ayrshire | Fife |
| North Lanarkshire | Highland |
| Orkney | Inverclyde |
| Perth and Kinross | Midlothian |
| Renfrewshire | Scottish Borders |
| Shetland | West Dunbartonshire |
| South Ayrshire | West Lothian |
| South Lanarkshire | |
| Stirling | |
| Source: Fostering Network Scotland | |
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