The rights and voices of care experienced children are the focus of this year’s Care Experienced Week – a powerful celebration of identity, resilience, and empowerment. Running from 25 October to 1 November, the week honours children, young people, and adults who have experience of care – whether through foster care, kinship care, residential settings, or adoption – and highlights the importance of recognising and upholding their rights.
Care Experienced Week offers opportunities for connection, creative expression, and campaigning for change and during the week Scotland is reminded of its commitment to #KeepThePromise. At Children’s Health Scotland, we are proud to support this week and the care community it empowers. Over the past year, we’ve worked alongside foster and kinship carers, delivering training and workshops tailored to their needs and to the needs of the children and young people in their care. Our Bear’s Big Adventure Days have brought joy, confidence, and connection to hundreds of care experienced children – and we’re excited to bring even more training, workshops, and Big Bear Adventures in 2026.
Commenting on the week, Helen Forrest, Chief Executive of Children’s Health Scotland said:
Care Experienced Week is a celebration of resilience, identity and rights. At Children’s Health Scotland, we believe every child has the right to be healthy, supported and heard – and we’re proud to stand alongside care experienced children and young people to make that a reality. We’re also proud to champion our Health Rights Defenders programme, which empowers children and young people to understand and advocate for their health rights.
Health Rights Service
The Health Rights Service we provide exists to uphold and promote the right of every child and young person to the best possible health, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We work to ensure that children and young people—especially those facing health challenges—are informed, empowered, and supported to understand and exercise their health rights.
What We Do:
- Information and Advocacy: We provide clear, child-friendly information about health rights, including the right to be heard, the right to participate in decisions about care and treatment, and the right to access appropriate healthcare services.
- Direct Support: Our team offers one-to-one support to children, young people, and families navigating complex health journeys, helping them understand their rights and advocate for their needs within healthcare settings.
- Training and Awareness: We deliver workshops and training to professionals, carers, and families to raise awareness of children’s health rights and how to uphold them in practice.
- Health Rights Defenders: We support children and young people to become Health Rights Defenders—active participants in shaping health services and policies that affect them. Their voices inform our strategy, campaigns, and publications.
- Policy and Systems Change: We work with decision-makers to embed children’s health rights into policy and practice, ensuring that services are trauma-informed, child-led, and rights-respecting.
Our Impact:
Through our Health Rights Service, we help children and young people feel seen, heard, and respected in their healthcare experiences. We champion a Scotland where every child’s right to the best possible health is not just recognised—but realised.
To learn more about our work and how we’re supporting care experienced children and young people, visit https://www.childrenshealthscotland.org/service/hrcyps/
