Mary admits that working as a foster carer is a lot more rewarding than she ever thought it would be when she first applied more than 20 years ago.

She works for Renfreshire Council in Scotland is one of the carers helping to promote a new recruitment drive that hopes to see as many as 600 new carers for local authorities across Scotland.

The 'Search for the Hero' radio campaign, on Scot FM, 96.3 QFM and Wave 102, runs until April 15 and is said to be the largest joint fostering initiative ever run in Scotland.

Mary believes that fostering has not only helped children at a difficult time in their lives but also enriched her as a person.

"You are trying to give them the stability to go forward, to give them self esteem so that they become balanced individuals.

"Once all the paper work is done, once you've had your first child, you'll just want more and more of it. You just can't get enough.

"It's the fact that you've been able to give a home, for whatever period of time, to a child that needed one, needed a place of safety, needed the odd cuddle, needed the reassurance that not everybody is bad, or can't look after them for whatever reason.

"You're the stepping stone to a better life."

Carol Shade, who has been a foster carer for Falkirk Council for seven years, treads where many fear to tread - by looking after teenage boys but she insists that it is not as difficult as many people may think and can be extremely rewarding.

"A lot of people don't want teenage boys because their conception of teenage boys is trouble, trouble, trouble and they're not. There's an awful lot of joy as well.

"I've got three boys. One of the boys that I've got I've had for five and a half years and he's doing really well.

"When he came to us he used to sit in the corner of the couch, curled up in a ball. He hadn't long lost his mother and he found it very difficult to communicate. He found negative in everything, everything."

But with Carol's support the same boy is set to take exams at school and has caught the eye of professional football scouts...as well as many female admirers.

"He's an extremely good-looking boy. He's got the girls following him everywhere. He's very confident, confident in his own abilities, his own self-esteem and he's hoping to be a fireman.

"He actually makes you proud of him.

She added: "I love fostering, it was the best move I ever made."

Maureen is a foster carer for West Lothian Council and went into it because she loves children and helping people and gets great satisfaction out of turning round very sad and disturbed youngsters into children who are leading life to the full.

"At the moment I've got twins and a baby, who are just lovely," she said.

"I've been told I've made quite a large difference to the children in my care. A lot of children that I've had have been very, very insecure, unsettled, very untrustworthy, a great deal of difficulties in making attachments.

"I had one wee boy in for nearly two years. When he came to me he was so insecure. This child just used to sit and rock or threw horrendous tantrums because it was the only way he knew how to communicate.

"Over the two-year period that we had him, we worked on this, taught him to trust people again, and eventually we moved this child on very successfully to another family and he is now doing fantastic."

There are 15 councils taking part in the Scot FM appeal. They are: Glasgow City Council, Edinburgh City Council, East Renfrewshire Council, Renfrewshire Council, West Lothian Council, Falkirk Council, MidLothian, Stirling Council, South Lanarkshire Council, East Ayrshire Council, Dundee Council, Inverclyde Council, Clackmannanshire Council, South Ayrshire Council, West Dunbartonshire Council.

Potential foster carers need to be over 21 years old, although some councils might run 'befriending schemes' for people under that age. You don't need to be married or in a partnership or own your own home.

People interested in becoming a carer can call a confidential helpline on 08700 502 502. Lines are open from Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 9pm, Saturdays 10am to 6pm and Sundays 10am to 6pm.

Watch out for more on the Search for the Heroes campaign on Adoption-net.

See also:

'If I could bottle his chuckle, I'd make a million'

Searching for heroes...