Children of drug addicts are often cared for by grandparents

The BBC's Frontline Scotland programme has found gaps in the system of care.

It found grandparents often step in, unpaid, to look after children.

A group of grandparents is now attempting legal action claiming that, in effect, they provide the same service as foster parents and they want councils to pay them the same rates.

Across Scotland every year, many parents develop a serious drug habit and often social services become involved.

However Frontline Scotland, to be screened at 2235 BST on BBC1 Scotland on Tuesday, highlights a hidden army - thousands of grandparents who intervene, to care for their grandchildren.

Relatives who are caring for a child should not normally receive less than other foster carers Scottish Executive spokesman

They take charge, unpaid, to avoid the risk of the children being taken into care.

Cathy McKee, a grandmother from Glasgow, took over caring for her grandchildren after her own daughter - a drug addict - walked out.

She said: "It's been a hard struggle. If the social work department had them, it would cost them �2000 a week to keep them in care.

"Foster parents get a good allowance and if I'm doing the same amount of work as a foster parent then I'm entitled to the same."

'Proper audit'

The British Association of Social Workers is calling for the government to intervene - to judge the true scale of the problem - and provide extra cash.

Spokeswoman Ruth Stark said: "This needs to be sorted out. It is so patchy across Scotland that it needs a proper audit and proper support from central government.

"This problem isn't going to go away and we need to be putting resources into supporting grandparents."

A Scottish Executive spokesman said: "Existing Scottish Executive guidance makes clear that relatives who are caring for a child should not normally receive less than other foster carers as the costs of caring for a child will not be different.

"However, we have recognised this is a growing concern and we are undertaking research into care by relatives to examine the issues and the experiences of kinship carers. This will report by the end of the year."