COMMUNITY groups supporting Scotland’s kinship carers are being celebrated during this year’s Kinship Care Week.
Kinship carers are family and friends who step in to care for children who can no longer live with their parents.
The Kinship Care Advice Service for Scotland (KCASS) has organised Kinship Care week, an event dedicated to offering emotional support and advice.
Community support groups help with feelings of loneliness and isolation by giving carers people to talk to who have things in common with them.
Members of the support groups described them as a “lifeline”, and KCASS is now calling on local authorities to offer support to agencies and carers in those areas who wish to set up their own groups.
Susan Hunter, KCASS project co-ordinator, said: “This year, our communities’ officer has been fortunate to visit groups throughout Scotland, meeting and listening to kinship carers who tell us how necessary these groups are.
“They also say that in areas with no groups operating, there should be support for local agencies or for kinship carers to establish a much-needed support group.
“This Kinship Care Week, KCASS are encouraging kinship care groups to take part in their own local community and celebrate their kinship families where children are loved, safe and happy.
“They can do this by running small or large events, having some fun and encouraging other kinship carers to come along and reap the many benefits of being part of these marvellous groups.”
KCASS has been operated by Adoption UK in Scotland since 2020 and has since started more than 60 successful support groups.
Children and Young People Minister Clare Haughey said: “Kinship Care Week provides us with an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the important role our kinship carers play in providing loving, secure, stable and nurturing homes for children and young people.
“The support local care groups provide to our kinship families is not only a safe space for carers, it also creates a safe environment for children and young people to connect with their peers who may have similar experiences.”
Kinship care week runs from March 13-17.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here