Comhairle nan Eilean Siar celebrated National Care Day 2024 with a drop-in event at An Lanntair, Stornoway on Friday 15 February.
National Care Day is a national celebration of the care experienced community.
The activity based drop-in event in Stornoway focussed on the role of “Corporate Parents”.
When a child comes into care, the Comhairle becomes their Corporate Parent. As Corporate Parents it is the collective responsibility of the council, elected members, employees, and partner agencies, to provide the best possible care and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by us. There should be no difference in the treatment of a care experienced young person to any of their peers.
At the event members of the public in attendance and care experienced young people were asked what being a “good parent” meant to them. Below are some examples of what they said.
“Unconditional love, care, protection and safety. Happy memories, clean clothes, a future they don’t have to recover from.”
“Someone who listens to me, love and cares for me and will fight for me”
“I want to keep the same friends” “I wish to live independently”
“I promise to listen to and take full account of the young person’s feelings and views”
The Western Isles Care Flag, that was created by the care experienced young people 4 years ago, was raised at South Beach.
The flag (Pictured) is designed to represent the journey of Care Experienced young people. The sky and the grass are upside down which represents the challenges that the young people face when their worlds are changed so rapidly and how unsettled things can be for them. Footprints represent the big steps needed to start their journey, the footprints become smaller as they near the end of their journey. Along the way flowers are collected. The flowers represent the blossoming of the young people. Heart shaped petals represent the young people believing love should be at the centre of everything for them. The sun rising shows our valuable young people rising above adversity.