The married father-of-one currently fosters a 13-year-old boy for whom he receives an allowance of �168 per week. Here, he speaks about his experiences as a carer and the financial struggles he faces.

For many years I ran a riding school and children's activity centre where I encountered many youngsters with behavioural problems and learning difficulties.

During that period I built up a rapport with both the children and social work staff who would often comment on how good I seemed to be with the children.

As a business, the riding school had to close in 2001 as we were severely hit during the first big outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

It was at that time that I thought really hard about becoming a foster carer.

After making a commitment to fostering I became the first specialist carer in the North East area.

The implications of that meant I would be taking on the more difficult cases.

Heating costs

The one-to-one placements are hard work, but the hard work is worth it - especially when years later you meet one of your former foster children in the street who are only too happy to shake your hand and say thank you.

As a specialist foster carer I am not permitted to have another job.

The amount I receive in allowances is not enough. A lot of the children I foster are not in full-time education because of their difficulties. That means I have to keep the heating on at all times and use more electricity.

I also have to find more activities to keep the child motivated. It all costs money.

The allowance makes a contribution towards these sorts of things but because I've often got children around all day it doesn't cover the full costs.

The costs of being a foster carer are hidden and may seem very small, �10 here, �10 there but it all adds up.

Loan problems

Because we live out in the country, it is a 20-mile round trip to take a foster child to school, that's at least a 100 miles a week and petrol isn't cheap. My allowance doesn't cover all those costs.

As a foster carer I have no financial security at all.

You are not recognised as a professional or part of a workforce. My wife and I recently struggled to get a loan for a car we really needed.

When we applied for the loan there was no box on the form that fitted my occupation, and the loan company don't take my job as a foster carer into consideration.

We did manage to get a loan but the repayments are very high.