As Scotland prepares to mark Care Experienced Week 2026 (26 October – 1 November), Children’s Health Scotland is highlighting the voices, achievements and aspirations of the care experienced children and young people it supports across the country.
This year’s theme, “Forward to the Future,” celebrates the strengths, ambitions and potential of Scotland’s care experienced community, while recognising the importance of ensuring children and young people have the support, opportunities and rights they need to achieve the futures they want for themselves.
Commenting on the week Helen Bauld, Training and Programmes Manager, Children’s Health Scotland said:
At Children’s Health Scotland, care experienced children and young people are at the heart of our work. Over the past year, we have supported hundreds of children, young people and carers through training, workshops, participation opportunities and Bear’s Big Adventure Days. Through these programmes, families build confidence, develop self-management skills, strengthen connections with their communities and learn more about their rights. Care Experienced Week, with its theme of Forward to the Future, is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements, resilience and aspirations of care experienced children and young people, while looking ahead to how we can continue supporting them to achieve their own goals and ambitions.
Children and young people consistently tell us how important it is to spend time with others who understand their experiences, while carers value opportunities to access practical information, share learning and connect with others facing similar challenges.
One carer who attended a recent workshop said:
I can’t tell you how helpful the session has been. I only wish I had known about this training years ago.
Another shared:
The best thing I will take away is the information about UNCRC and children’s rights up until age 18.
Families attending Bear’s Big Adventure Days have also spoken about the positive impact of meeting others and building supportive connections.
One carer said:
It is great to meet other families who are experiencing the same challenges.
Children’s Health Scotland also works alongside children and young people through its Health Rights Defenders, helping them understand their rights and share their experiences to influence services and decision-making. By listening to children and young people and supporting them to have their voices heard, we help ensure services are trauma-informed, child-led and rights-respecting.
Helen added:
At Children’s Health Scotland, we believe every child and young person has the right to achieve the best possible health, feel supported and be listened to. We are proud to stand alongside care experienced children and young people, and their carers, to help make that a reality. Our training programmes are tailored for foster and kinship carers, providing information, practical support and opportunities to learn from one another’s experiences. Time and again, carers tell us how valuable it is to connect with others who understand the challenges they face. Through our workshops, training and Bear’s Big Adventure Days, we are helping children, young people and carers build confidence, strengthen connections and look forward to the future with hope and opportunity.
Care Experienced Week is the world’s biggest celebration of children, young people and adults with experience of care – whether through foster care, kinship care, residential care or adoption. This year’s theme is #ForwardToTheFuture, celebrating the hopes and ambitions of Care Experienced people and looking ahead to the future. The week provides opportunities for connection, creativity and collective action while reinforcing Scotland’s commitment to #KeepThePromise.We’re proud to stand alongside the Care Experienced community and play our part in supporting them to achieve and shape the futures they want for themselves.
Looking ahead to 2027, Children’s Health Scotland will continue to strengthen its support for care experienced children, young people and carers through training, workshops, participation opportunities and Bear’s Big Adventure Days, ensuring more families can access the information, support and connections they need to thrive.
Through all of our work, we remain committed to ensuring every child and young person’s right to the best possible health is not only recognised but realised.
To learn more about Children’s Health Scotland’s support for care experienced children and young people, visit: https://www.childrenshealthscotland.org/services/families-and-carers/
