Leading children's charity Barnardo's has thrown its support behind National Foster Care Fortnight.

In supporting the nationwide recruitment drive for more foster carers, the charity warned that the current public focus on adoption should not detract from the value of fostering - particularly long-term fostering for many children in care.

"Adoption practice has, quite rightly, received a great deal of attention recently," said principal policy officer Anne Van Meeuwen. "But fostering is still the placement of choice for most children who cannot live with their birth families.

"Long term fostering offers children a similar stability to adoption, but allows them to maintain closer links with their original family.

"Most adoptions take place with children under the age of five, so long term fostering is an important option for older children and should be considered as early as possible in making plans for a child's care."

She called for greater recognition of the professional contribution of foster carers, adding: "Barnardo's treats its foster carers as partners in the child care process, and pays them a professional fee. Foster carers must be given the credit they deserve and rewarded for the time and skills they offer."

The charity runs 18 services in the UK offering a variety of specialist fostering services, including 11 long-term fostering projects.