Stories of Care
You’re not alone.
If you have experience of being in care then you have a story to tell. Your story may be a difficult one to put into words. You may feel isolated or not listened to. We want to change this, and we want to stop the stigma attached to those who are care-experienced.
Most of all, you are not alone. In this section there are real stories of others who are care-experienced and from the professionals who are or have been involved. In time, these stories will grow and we want them to become a valuable source of information and inspiration to you on your personal journey.
Embrace Community Groups
Embrace groups are for anyone with lived experience of care. They are a space for care experiencedpeople to come together, share experiences and support one another. The purpose, aims andactivity of each groups is led by the participants. Groups are now well...
The good and not-so-good of being in care
A measured perspective of being in care “When I first went into care, I wasn’t a stranger to care. I had been with Social Work as my brother was in and out of care. I felt like I was the adult in the household, so I knew what was going on. I got to meet some very good...
A nervous beginning
Reflecting on being care-experienced "On the 5th of December, I met my foster carers who were going to look after me and my brothers. At first, I was nervous and unsure of the environment I had been dropped in. The first couple days were odd and I was anxious and...
An honest account of being in care
"I was taken into foster care when I was 11 years old. In my foster placement I felt loved, included, nurtured and felt part of a family. This ended because my behaviour was so bad in school, I hated school, I went to PSS and it was horrible. This carer was going to...
An experience of Foster Care
Reflecting on the past "I am care experienced. I enjoyed being in care. I had my own room and felt like I had a say in every discussion and my own opinion on things that were happening. What made me happy being in care was feeling like I was a part of a family who...
Kinship Care – a Grandmother’s perspective
Helping three boys grow "The three kids were going to be taken off my daughter and put into foster care, they were all getting split up, going to different places. I couldn’t let that happen, so I said I’d take them and it’s the best decision I ever made! "It makes...
Long-term caring for our Niece
The rewarding nature of Kinship Care "Myself and my husband became kinship carers for our niece. It has been difficult at times. We changed her surname to ours to give her a sense of belonging and let her know that she is loved, cared for and part of a family. I can...
Advice from a Kinship Carer
A Grandmother's perspective "My daughter had addiction issues and my grandson wasn’t getting looked after properly. So, I was asked to take him. It was hard because I felt like I had to turn my back on my own child to help my grandchild. "The early days were really...
Room to improve
Where support can do better "We now get support financially through the kinship team. We have had the kids in our care for almost 2 years. Unfortunately when the kids came to stay here we spoke with social work on one occasion and then heard absolutely nothing from...
A view from both sides
How experience translates into understanding "I am in a unique position as I have experienced first-hand what it is like to be on both sides of the fence. I was looked after when I was younger and spent time living in residential houses. Now I work with children and...
The House Project
Making a big change in a person's life "I would like to say that having the opportunity to be on the House Project has completely helped to change my life in many ways, I was really nervous at the beginning of the project and was unsure just how much I would be...
We'd like to hear from you
This journey is only beginning and we would like you to be part of it.
To build the best community, we need to share our experiences. Everybody should have a say and everyone will be listened to.
Whether you have a story you feel would help someone else in the care-experience community, if you have a view on how Caring in Fife could improve, or if you'd like to be directly involved we want to hear from you.
This community will be better by including you.
Call us on
0800 953 0535
Phoneline is open during normal office hours (9am-5pm) Monday - Friday.
Or complete the contact form here.
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Embrace - Caring in Fife is an initiative from Fife Council in partnership with
The Promise Scotland