Foster carers looking after Falkirk's children came together for the first time in more than two years at a special event to thank them for their work.
The gathering, held to mark Foster Care Fortnight, was a chance for Falkirk Council to say thank you to its foster carers who "don't just gone the extra mile - they go extra hundreds of miles".
More than half of the councils' foster carers turned up to the event at Falkirk Stadium where they enjoyed tea, cake - and a chance to finally meet in person.
Service manager Sharon Laing said: "The buzz in the room was incredible - it was a really lovely atmosphere and people were just talking about their experiences and re-connecting with each other.
"People who started fostering during the pandemic have maybe been a bit isolated so they were meeting people who've been fostering for 30 years and they were just delighted to meet face to face and be in that space together, talking to each other.
"And even though people had seen each other online, just sitting down with a cup of tea and a cake, having a chat was great. And those connections are going to continue because they were swapping phone numbers and email addresses."
She said that while carers get great support from the council team, carers tell them that it is good to be able to talk to "somebody who walks the walk every day", who can share frustrations.
"It's a two-way street - sometimes a person coming new to fostering has a new idea that hasn't been tried before."
She added: "If you come to foster care for Falkirk not only will you get great support, you've also got a whole community of foster carers around you who will buddy you from day one, they'll be there on the phone when you're having a difficult day and they'll also be there with you to celebrate the good times as well."
The event was also a chance for Falkirk Council to acknowledge everything foster carers had done "for Falkirk's children", especially over the past two years.
Ms Laing said that they would never underestimate how much they had asked of foster carers, particularly during lockdown when many were not allowed to see their own families but made sure that foster children were able to keep in touch with their parents.
"They are amazing - they are incredible people!" she said.
She added that there would be more meetings to bring people together face-to-face.
"That was strongly the message I heard from the carers that I spoke to was that they wanted to be back together in the same space.
"Online served us well but we want to be together as a fostering community."
To find out more about fostering with Falkirk Council visit www. falkirkfosteringandadoption .co.uk
