We were delighted to organise Adoption Week Scotland again this year, alongside AFA Scotland. The event ran from 19th-24th November and there were many highlights, including a visit from the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

This year is the Year of the Young Person in Scotland and so the theme for Adoption Week was
the voice of adopted young people. The launch day was incredibly special for us as we held our Adopted Voices conference, planned in conjunction with AFA Scotland and with input from St Andrew’s Children’s Society and Scottish Adoption.

The day was designed and co-facilitated by young adoptees. They introduced a short film they had created, which included interviews with adopted adults, they took part in an education panel and facilitated workshops that allowed attendees to learn more about the issues affecting adoptees.

The day was closed by a very special guest speaker – the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, who was there to meet with the young people. She signed off with a pledge to ensure that every care experienced child in Scotland receives the support they require to reach their best outcomes, before thanking our young people for doing such an excellent job throughout the day. The First Minister spent over an hour with the young people in a private workshop following the conference event, listening to their experiences and learning from them. We gifted her a scrapbook
full of pictures, notes and thoughts from adopted young people, as well as a folder of letters written by adoptive parents.

Adoption Week events also included fun family get togethers and an information roadshow. We were delighted to be joined by Minister of Children and Young People, Maree Todd MSP (pictured left), at our final information event, where she was gifted an Alien Ally. These were created and donated by kind crafters from across the UK and it is hoped they will be companions for children who struggle with change. Ms Todd spoke to the room about the need to support adoptive families and thanked all agencies for the work that they do in creating families in Scotland.