A social work researcher says fostering agencies are neglecting the important part that foster fathers can play in a child's life because they are seen more as a potential risk to the child than as an a positive role model.

Robbie Gilligan argues that male foster carers can play a vital part in helping an abused child overcome the trauma they may have suffered at the hands of men from their past.

But because of the fear that agencies have that the man may abuse the child, they marginalise the foster father's role in the care of the child.

Writing in the Adoption and Fostering journal, he calls for agencies to involve foster fathers more fully in training and offer them more support.

Children often enter care having been abused by men or may have witnessed men abusing their mothers. They are also likely to have been removed from their home by male police officers or have had to make court appearances before often male judges.

As such, a child view of men may be tainted by their experiences, says Mr Gilligan, academic co-director of the Children's Research Centre at the University of Dublin.

"Relationships with males foster carers have the potential to help foster children to lay the ghost of past trauma caused by men.

"Male foster carers can help to challenge any negative images of men the foster children may harbour. A positive or even a non-destructive relationship with a male foster carer may help heal children who have been emotionally scarred by previous male behaviour."

But despite the benefits that male carers can bring, their role is usually sidelined by social workers who, for instance, may choose to speak primarily to the foster mother about a child.

Mr Gilligan's small exploratory study found that male carers had various roles: