Charity opens new residential home for children in Fife

Tarvit Cottage is for youngsters who cannot be fostered

One of Scotland’s oldest children’s charities has opened up its first home since closing its residential service six years ago.

Carolina House Trust, formerly known as the Dundee Orphan Institute, has launched Tarvit Cottage near Cupar to cater for young people not suited to foster care.

Carolina House Trust chief executive Steve Clark said: “There was a trend a few years ago to move away from residential care and have young people stay with families.

“But there are a small number of young people who don’t thrive in that kind of situation and require support in somewhere like a small residential unit.

“That’s why we are going back to this. We’ve been getting a number of referrals for foster care who would be much better placed in somewhere like Tarvit Cottage.”

The trust, which supports foster care placements, previously had a number of properties and operated Tarvit Cottage until about 2010, winding up its residential service soon afterwards.

It has now taken it back and is hoping to open another facility in Dundee.

The unit can accommodate three young people aged 10 to 18 years, who would struggle in a family environment. Often young people in need of such residential care have experienced neglect, abuse, family breakdown or trauma.

The trust opened its first residential home in Dundee’s Paradise Road 202 years ago. As demand for the orphanage grew, it relocated to Small Wynd before moving to the purpose-built Carolina House in Broughty Ferry Road in 1870.

There it remained open for more than a century, until 1983.

Tarvit Cottage house leader Gary Moore added: “Tarvit Cottage is a family home and the young people are part of our family.

“For some this may be for a short period, others will grow with us into adulthood.

“The staff work closely with the young people, local authorities and significant others to create unique, person-centred packages of support to help them to move positively into independent living.”

The staff work closely with the young people, local authorities and significant others to create unique, personcentred packages of support. TARVIT COTTAGE HOUSE LEADER GARY MOORE