Forces Children Scotland

24/08/2026

Did you know that First Steps offers on-demand stories, information and support for Forces children in the early years?

In partnership with Early Years Scotland, we gathered the views of parents and practitioners and created these resources so that babies and young children from Armed Forces families have a voice.

https://forceschildrenscotland.org.uk/projects/first-steps/

18/08/2026

We're welcoming the rest of Scotland's local authorities back to school this week! All the best for your autumn term.

This includes pupils and teachers in: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, Fife, Highland, Inverclyde, Moray, North Ayrshire, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, Shetland, South Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire.

While all pupils deserve a fulfilling education, our March report for the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland shows that children and young people from Armed Forces families are not always receiving the support they need.

Here the report, which includes key recommendations for how we can fix this:

https://forceschildrenscotland.org.uk/camouflaged-in-the-education-system/

17/08/2026

Here's an upcoming webinar that may be helpful for parents and carers of children who are new to the Scottish education system.

If your family has relocated to Scotland, Beth and Sarah from Enquire - Scottish advice service for additional support for learning will help you understand:

- What ‘additional support needs’ are, and how children can access the support they are entitled to
- Steps to take if your child isn’t getting the support they need
- How Enquire can support you and your child

Book your free place:

Helping parents and carers understand the school system in Scotland, including your child’s right to support for learning if they need it.

14/08/2026

Yesterday was our lucky day! 🎲

Heather took part in the Leuchars Community Day, joined by our newest Ruby Boots volunteer, Gillian—who is bringing an amazing dose of enthusiasm and lived experience to the project.

At Forces Children Scotland, collaboration and being part of the community is really valued. Meeting families and partners, old and new, is always a joy. Thank you to Jane Allen from the Army Welfare Service for inviting us along.

13/08/2026

Beginning a new school year? Here's one for young people from serving Royal Navy families.

GoLearn can provide free one-to-one tutoring—up to 16 hours per year—for young people from serving Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary families.

The programme can be accessed anywhere and is designed to fit around the realities of Naval life:

https://www.navalchildrenscharity.org.uk/go-learn-free-one-to-one-online-tutoring-for-royal-navy-royal-marines-and-royal-fleet-auxiliary-families/

This opportunity comes from Naval Children's Charity, courtesy of Greenwich Hospital.

11/08/2026

Best wishes to everyone beginning the 2026-27 autumn term this week!

This includes pupils and teachers in Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Lothian on Wednesday; Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Midlothian, and South Lanarkshire on Thursday.

Here's a guide to the support we offer children and young people from Armed Forces families, including digital resources available anywhere, anytime:

https://forceschildrenscotland.org.uk/get-support/

11/08/2026

This webinar is only two weeks away!

The Forces Children’s Rights Charter is a year-round tool, but as children and young people head back to school, it’s especially important to reflect on how we can support their rights across different systems.

Book your free place to learn about how the Forces Children's Rights Charter came about, and how it's making a difference in the lives of babies, children and young people from Armed Forces families.

Discover the Forces Children's Rights Charter, explore resources and learn how you can take action to support children's rights

10/08/2026

Co-writing a picture book with children and young people showed us just how impactful the right story can be.

Here's an opportunity for Armed Forces parents and carers to join in research about how storybooks can help children aged 5-11 make sense of their experiences. This research involves:
✨ Filling in a 10-minute survey
✨ Reading a storybook with your child and do some related activities
✨ Taking part in two Zoom interviews (including with your child)

Register your interest: https://unesurveys.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0HyzWcvrFRlJnhk

This international study is led by Marg Rogers at the Child and Family Resilience Programs, which offers free, evidence-based resources to Armed Forces families.

07/08/2026

We wouldn't be Forces Children Scotland without children and young people. As Josh says in this video: "I can put so much of my experience growing up into helping future generations of Forces families."

We're honoured to have over two hundred years of history serving the Armed Forces community. But our main focus is supporting today's babies, children, and young people, and understanding how we can make things easier for the next generation.

This year, we celebrated our fifth anniversary as Forces Children Scotland with children and young people, their families, our staff and trustees, and some special guests ahead of Armed Forces Day 2026.

Here's what they had to say about the work we're doing and what we can accomplish by listening to young people.

Thank you for joining us, Nicola Killean, Children and Young People's Commissioner for Scotland; Susie Hamilton, Scottish Veterans Commissioner; Kerry Newham from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, and Catherine Lindow, illustrator of Max's Big Move.

And thanks to Scotland's Veterans Wellbeing Alliance and Edinburgh Napier University for hosting "The Big Day Out"!

04/08/2026

What if the systems around Forces children were built to anticipate their lives, not just react to them?

That's the question our Chief Executive Steven Sweeney explores in our latest blog, setting out how a Rights-Informed Public Health Approach could work across the UK and inviting leaders from defence, education, health and government to help build it.

Last week, we introduced a Rights-Informed Public Health Approach. Here are some ideas from our CEO, Steven Sweeney, on how decision-makers across the UK can advance this framework to prevent disadvantage for Forces children before it arises. If we accept that the predictable experiences of military...