Kinship care marks decade of support in Fife with special event at Burntisland Links

Fife Kinship Care will mark the anniversary with an event in a marquee on Burntisland Links on Saturday, starting at midday.

It was ten years ago that Fife Council officials and councillors made a significant change to policy in the Kingdom, putting more emphasis on keeping children within families even if they can't stay with their parents, known as kinship care.

Research shows that keeping children with family leads to significantly better outcomes for the children than going into the care system.

While kinship care is often overlooked when looking at how children are looked after, these grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives make a big difference to the children in their lives.

There are now over 500 kinship care families in the Kingdome, and the Kinship Care team puts on an annual fun day in Burntisland for them.

With the support of the council, the Showman's Guild, local Rotary clubs and local businesses, the children and their caregivers can enjoy the summer shows on The Links and a huge variety of activities, with the support of a small team of dedicated Fife Council staff and volunteers.

Former local councillor, Susan Leslie, chaired the committee that approved the change in policy ten years ago and has volunteered with Fife Kinship Care ever since. She said: “We're delighted at the impact that raising the profile of kinship care has had in the community. Children are best looked after by their family wherever possible, and these kinship carers do a remarkable job often in difficult circumstances.

"I'm proud to have championed this change in policy for the council, and coming along to support the fun day every year I see the impact. More and more families have joined us every year, with Burntisland's local businesses and community groups doing all they can to support them. It shows our community at its best."

The big milestone will be celebrated at noon on Saturday on the Links, with council leader, Councillor David Ross and Ken Gourlay, chief executive, among those attending.