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‘I am a foster carer’ - why do foster carers find it hard to say?

Year: | Topic: Foster care | Author: Sara Smith

Why do I hesitate when people ask what I do to say I am a foster carer? What makes me wait and judge the person before saying I am a foster c…

The power of love and support in extraordinary times

Year: 2021 | Topic: Foster care | Author: Sara Lurie

As we celebrate Foster Care Fortnight 2021, I want to say a huge thank you to the fostering community across Scotland. In spite of the huge c…

Agents of change

Year: 2018 | Topic: Foster care | Author: Jo Derrick

Jo Derrick at Foster Care Associates explans how additional support for foster carers at the early stages of placement helps to improve outco…

Case study/examples of practice Resource Icon

Kids like Kate need a home

Year: 2015 | Topic: Permanence | Author: East Renfrewshire Council

East Renfrewshire Council listen and learn from local residents to revamp their foster carer campaign.

Doctor Who and the care experienced new companion

Year: 2017 | Topic: Education, Foster care, Throughcare and aftercare | Author: Leanne Mattu

Leanne Mattu, Research Associate at CELCIS, explores what Bill Potts’ character does and does not tell us about being in foster care

If I wasn't emotionally involved, they wouldn't have thrived

Year: 2018 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Foster care, Health and Wellbeing, Kinship care, Looked after at home, Residential care | Author: Gordon Main

Gordon Main continues the conversation on commitment, discussing the emotional investment of foster carers.

We are open, responsive and actively listen

Year: 2018 | Topic: Foster care | Author: Michael Stewart

Michael Stewart, from Fosterplus, gives an insight into a model used to improve foster care practice.

Relationships in Foster Care Professional Role survey

Year: 2018 | Topic: Foster care | Author: Lucia Hargašová, CELCIS

Are you a foster carer? Take this short questionnaire and share your experiences of fostering.

Commitment, like love, is not enough

Year: 2018 | Topic: Foster care, Kinship care, Residential care | Author: Gordon Main

Gordon Main talks about how commitment in the care system is not enough.

"I just want to be normal": looked after young people's experiences of feeling different

Year: 2018 | Topic: Health and Wellbeing, REACH, Voices of young people | Author: Professor Julie Selwyn, Dr Claire Baker

Professor Julie Selwyn, from the University of Bristol, and Dr Claire Baker from Corum Voice talk about the Bright Spots programme looking at…

Knowing about continuing care allows for early conversations

Year: | Topic: Foster care, Throughcare and aftercare | Author: Hazel Rogers

Hazel Rogers is new to fostering and here she discusses her journey to find out more about continuing care to give her the confidence to supp…

Latest stats on children in care prompts some interesting questions

Year: 2016 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Education, Local authority, Looked after at home | Author: Ben Farrugia

Ben Farrugia raises some interesting questions. Some of these stats don't ring true. Why?

Moving forward on alternative care: Assessment of the Foster Care Pilot Project in Albania

Year: 2014 | Topic: International | Author: Irene Stevens, Graham Connelly & Ian Milligan

Our evaluation of a foster care project in Albania.

Consultation response: The Learning Standard of Foster Care

Year: 2016 | Topic: Foster care | Author: Ben Farrugia

Feedback on the proposed Learning Standard for Foster Care, framing the core knowledge and skills required by today’s foster carers.

Changing Landscape of Kinship Care in Scotland

Year: 2021 | Topic: Kinship care | Author: Arthur Coutts

Traditionally, kinship care has been viewed as a cheaper option secondary to fostering and adoption in terms of allowances, support and a lac…

A Passion for Permanence

Year: 2016 | Topic: Kinship care, Permanence, Voices of young people | Author: Aileen Nicol

Why permanence matters for looked after children, and why we must share our passion to improve.

Foster Care Review

Year: 2013 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Legislation | Author: LACSIG

Includes the survey analysis, the final report and the Scottish Government's response to the findings.

CHAMPS is changing lives

Year: 2018 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people | Author: Maryellen Fegan

Maryellen Fegan chairs the Highland Champions (CHAMPS) Board. In this blog she describes what she believes it has achieved.

Mind the implementation gap: how child care can be improved globally

Year: 2017 | Topic: Foster care, Health and Wellbeing, International, Voices of young people | Author: Chrissie Gale

Dr Chrissie Gale, international lead for CELCIS, reflects on research which could help shape the drive for better alternative care for childr…

Concurrency: Planning for all outcomes

Year: 2016 | Topic: Adoption, Child protection, Foster care, Permanence | Author: Carol Wassell

What’s known as concurrency planning is beginning to be adopted in Scotland, and it's a potent means of achieving permanent, stable homes an…

Strengthening family based care, strengthening social work in Kosovo

Year: 2016 | Topic: Foster care, International | Author: Ian Milligan

For anyone interested in the operation and challenges of a care system in South-east Europe. This is a review of the care system in Kosovo.

I couldn't bring myself to write the acronym 'LAC'

Year: 2018 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Residential care, Voices of young people | Author: Graham Connelly

Continuing the theme of Graham's first blog post on language and labelling, giving examples of when this is unhelpful.

Adoption: dispelling the myths and realising the reality

Year: 2016 | Topic: Adoption, Permanence | Author: Fiona Aitken

The rewards of adopting can far outweigh any barriers

Just out having a good time?

Year: 2018 | Topic: Foster care, Local authority, Residential care | Author: Leanne McIver, Vicki Welch

Evaluation of the pilot National Partnership Agreement for Looked After Children who go missing from Residential and Foster Care in Scotland

State of the Nation's Foster Care 2021

Year: 2021 | Topic: Foster care | Author: The Fostering Network

This report from The Fostering Network, is based on a survey, which took place in the summer of 2021, and covered key practice and workforce …

One voice

Year: 2019 | Topic: International | Author: Chrissie Gale

Dr Chrissie Gale, CELCIS international lead, argues that we need agencies to unite with one voice if we want to uphold children’s rights inte…

Child migrants around the world are being denied their human rights

Year: 2019 | Topic: Child sexual exploitation (CSE), Child trafficking, International | Author: Chrissie Gale, Jennifer Davidson, Nigel Cantwell

Vast numbers of children and families are on the move around the world. There are now 30m children displaced by conflict, the highest since W…

‘Children have a right to education – regardless of immigration status’

Year: 2019 | Topic: Child protection, Child sexual exploitation (CSE), Child trafficking, Education, International | Author: Jennifer Davidson, Chrissie Gale

This article was first published by TES on the support teachers can offer unaccompanied and separated children.

CELCIS response to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on The Youth Justice Standards

Year: 2020 | Topic: Secure care | Author: Kate Mackinnon

Our response highlights the need for children aged 16-17 to access child friendly justice responses, and for the rights of children as ascert…

What I wished I’d known about kinship care

Year: | Topic: Kinship care | Author: Margaret Jones**

A kinship carer who has looked after her granddaughter for the past decade shares some of the challenges and the rewards this brings.

National Confidential Forum for Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse

Year: 2012 | Topic: Historical abuse, Residential care | Author: Moyra Hawthorn, Andy Kendrick

Information on the number of children who had been in care in Scotland between 1930 and 2005.

Living in the room for improvement

Year: 2018 | Topic: Children's hearings system, Foster care, Legislation, Voices of young people, Siblings, Brothers and sisters | Author: Claire Burns

Claire Burns introduces the evidence into practice theme of the new issue of our REACH publication.

Looked after children statistics 2014-15

Year: 2016 | Topic: | Author: Ben Farrugia

Our analysis and briefing on the Scottish Government's statistics on looked after children and care leavers

Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 18 No 3

Year: 2019 | Topic: Child protection, Residential care, Voices of young people | Author: Graham Connelly

This issue includes a mix of peer-reviewed articles, commentaries and the Kilbrandon Lecture.

Going to school, and staying the course

Year: 2015 | Topic: Education | Author: Graham Connelly

Attend, encourage and enjoy to learn - a blog by Graham Connelly

The attainment gap - a look behind the stats

Year: 2016 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Education, Foster care, Local authority, Looked after at home | Author: Linda O'Neill

Linda O'Neill tells the story behind the recent education statistics.

Survey results on the formal exclusion of care experienced children and young people in Scotland

Year: 2024 | Topic: Education | Author: Virtual School Head Teachers' Network

The Virtual School Head Teachers' Network, which CELCIS has facilitated since 2019, has published the findings of a survey of local authoriti…

Education Forum February 2024

Year: 2024 | Topic: Education | Author: CELCIS

At this meeting of the Education Forum we learned about a partnership project called the Keeping The Promise Award Programme, which was origi…

Updated practitioner guidance on kinship care assistance in Scotland

Year: 2024 | Topic: Kinship care, Legislation | Author: Scottish Government

The Scottish Government along with partners in the Kinship Care Collaborative have produced updated guidance for Part 13 of the Children and …

Navigating social workers’ use of voluntary care arrangements for families in Scotland

Year: | Topic: Child protection, Corporate parenting | Author: Dr Robert Porter, Dr Brandi Lee Lough Dennell

In this second in a series of blog posts to highlight findings from research on voluntary care arrangements in Scotland, Dr Robert Porter, Re…

Understanding the experiences of children growing up in kinship care in Scotland

Year: | Topic: Kinship care | Author: Joanna Soraghan

In this blog post to mark Kinship Care Week 2024, Dr Joanna Soraghan, Data Analyst at CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care a…

Virtual schools for care-experienced learners in Scotland: Reflections on an emerging concept in a new context

Year: 2024 | Topic: Education | Author: Leanna McIver and Michael Bettencourt

This paper offers comparison and reflection on the role and function virtual schools in England and Scotland.

What does new research tell us it will take to keep The Promise?

Year: | Topic: Active implementation | Author: Dr Heather Ottaway

Dr Heather Ottaway, CELCIS’s Head of Evidence and Innovation, and Principal Investigator of the Children’s Services Reform Research study con…

Response from CELCIS to the Scottish Government consultation on policy proposals for a Care Leaver Payment

Year: 2024 | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare | Author: Kate MacKinnon, Kirsty Doull and Katherine Anderson

CELCIS has responded to the Scottish Government's consultation on policy proposals far a Care Leaver payment. Our response is underpinned by …

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Government’s consultation on ‘Scottish Social Services Council – proposed register changes'

Year: 2023 | Topic: Local authority, Residential care | Author: Kate MacKinnon

CELCIS has responded to the Scottish Government's consultation on 'Scottish Social Services Council – proposed register changes'. We welcome …

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee’s inquiry into Additional Support for Learning (ASL)

Year: 2023 | Topic: Education, Health and Wellbeing, Legislation | Author: Linda O'Neill

CELCIS's response, based on research evidence, practice experience, and feedback from longstanding cross organisational networks, maintains a…

Children's Services Reform Research Concluding report

Year: 2023 | Topic: Legislation | Author: CELCIS

This concluding report, published in December 2023, brings together key themes and learning from across the study’s findings and determines t…

"Nobody spoke those words to me”: Parental experiences of voluntary care arrangements in Scotland

Year: | Topic: Child protection, Corporate parenting | Author: Dr Robert Porter, Dr Brandi Lee Lough Dennell

In this first of a series of blog posts to highlight findings from research on voluntary care arrangements in Scotland, Dr Robert Porter, Res…

Children's Services Reform Research study: Scotland’s Children’s Services Landscape: The Views and Experiences of the Children’s Services Workforce

Year: 2023 | Topic: Legislation | Author: CELCIS

This final part of the Children’s Services Reform Research study explores the experiences of people working to support children, young people…

Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 22 No 2

Year: 2023 | Topic: Residential care | Author:

Welcome to the autumn 2023 issue of the Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care. This issue is packed with three long-form, and peer-revie…

How lived experience of care is helping drive Scotland’s progress towards keeping The Promise

Year: | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people | Author: David Anderson

David Anderson is the Co-Chair of the Oversight Board, an independent group set up to report on the progress and pace in Scotland as it journ…

A Face on a Wall: How embracing ‘Artivism’ can help young people find their voice

Year: | Topic: Voices of young people | Author: Michael Archibald

In this blog post for Care Experienced Week, Michael Archibald, a student, artist and activist, discusses being involved in – and being the f…

Exploring leadership opportunities for the care experienced community

Year: | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people | Author: Barry Black, Gary Brown and Sarah Rogers

For this Care Experienced Week we took some time with Barry Black, member of the National Leadership Network (NLN) steering group, and Gary B…

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Government’s consultation on A Human Rights Bill for Scotland

Year: 2023 | Topic: Active implementation, Legislation | Author: Katherine Anderson

This short response draws on the evidence developed for our comprehensive response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the United Na…

Children's Services Reform Research study: Mapping Integration and Outcomes Across Scotland: A Statistical Analysis

Year: 2023 | Topic: Legislation | Author: CELCIS

For the third strand of the Children's Services Reform Research study, we have looked at whether there is an association between the approach…

Children's Services Reform Research study: Case Studies of Transformational Reform Programmes

Year: 2023 | Topic: Legislation | Author: CELCIS

For the second strand of the Children's Service Reform Research study, we have developed six cases studies of a range of approaches to transf…

Children Services Reform Research study: Rapid Evidence Review

Year: 2023 | Topic: Legislation | Author: CELCIS

This Rapid Evidence Review is the first strand of work within the Children’s Services Reform Research study. We gathered, analysed and synthe…

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Government’s ‘Prescribing the minimum annual number of learning hours: consultation’

Year: 2023 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Education, Legislation | Author: Michael Bettencourt

A perspective on the potential impact on care experienced learners and the education workforce of a proposal to prescribe the number of learn…

Language matters

Year: | Topic: Voices of young people | Author: Amy Miskimmin-Logan

Amy Miskimmin-Logan, Participation Development Worker at Our Hearings Our Voice (OHOV) shares the thinking behind the ‘Language Leaders’ proj…

The Promise Scotland reports on Scotland's Children's Hearings System

Year: 2023 | Topic: Children's hearings system | Author: The Promise Scotland

‘Hearings for Children: The Redesign Report’ has been published by The Promise Scotland following the work of The Hearings System Working Gro…

How Our Hearings Our Voice members worked around COVID-19 restrictions to help children and young people

Year: | Topic: Voices of young people, COVID | Author: Jennifer Orren

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, this could have derailed plans children and young people from Our Hearings, Our Voice (OHOV) had been working…

Education Forum April 2023

Year: 2023 | Topic: Education | Author: CELCIS

In the first Education Forum meeting of 2023, Stacey Heather-Brash, Funding Awareness and Engagement Manager from Students Awards Agency Scot…

Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 22 No 1

Year: 2023 | Topic: Residential care | Author:

The latest issue of the Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care features topical issues, research and practice. Also read the latest Kilbr…

Data poses questions as well as answers, so what questions arise from Scotland's Child Protection 2021-2022 Statistics?

Year: | Topic: Child protection, Local authority, COVID | Author: Dr Alex McTier

Dr Alex McTier, Evidence and Evaluation Specialist at CELCIS, takes a closer look at Scotland’s Child Protection 2021-2022 Statistics to unco…

The Impact of COVID-19 on Children’s Care Journeys in Scotland: An Analysis of the Administrative Data on 'Looked After' Children

Year: 2023 | Topic: Kinship care, Looked after at home, Residential care, COVID | Author: Joanna Soraghan, Gillian Raab, Patricio Troncoso, Morag Treanor & Robert Porter

The future of social work in times of change

Year: | Topic: Corporate parenting, Local authority, Voices of young people | Author: Kathryn Lindsay

Kathryn Lindsay is the Director of Children, Families and Justice Services and Chief Social Work Officer at Angus Council. In this blog post,…

World Social Work Day 2023: How social work teams in East Lothian have promoted staff wellbeing and development

Year: | Topic: Health and Wellbeing, Local authority | Author: Rogan Higginbottom

On this World Social Work Day, Rogan Higginbottom, a senior workforce learning and development officer at East Lothian Council (ELC), shares …

A response from CELCIS to the Education, Children and Young People Committee’s call for views on the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill, Sections 24 and 25.

Year: 2023 | Topic: Children's hearings system, Health and Wellbeing, Legislation | Author: Kate MacKinnon

CELCIS has responded to the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee’s call for views on the Children (Care and J…

How developing a love of reading is helping support care experienced children and young people in Dumfries and Galloway

Year: | Topic: Education | Author: Alison Ferla

Alison Ferla is the Principal Teacher of the Care Experienced Education Team in Dumfries and Galloway, which focuses on improving the educati…

Supporting Roots: the needs of birth parents who have lost a child or children to ‘care’.

Year: 2023 | Topic: Child protection, Corporate parenting | Author: The Scottish Government

This report provides a broad picture of the needs of birth parents who have lost a child or children to ‘care’, and of the support and servic…

Our Hearings, Our Voice, Our Magazine

Year: | Topic: Children's hearings system, Voices of young people | Author: Amy Miskimmin-Logan

How young people came up with the idea to produce a magazine for all young people to read and help them understand what’s involved while wait…

Authentic co-production – it’s the right thing to do!

Year: | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare | Author: Rosie Moore

Rosie Moore, Participation and Policy Advisor at CELCIS describes leading on a project that has participation at its core from the very begin…

Developing a village to care for the child (and the family)

Year: | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare | Author: Moira Greentree

As a new report is published by The Why Not? Trust, their Director of Innovation Moira Greentree, discusses the value of finding out how many…

Births to care experienced teenagers and women aged 14-24 in Scotland

Year: 2023 | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare | Author: CELCIS

This new report commissioned by the Why Not? Trust, funded by Care Visions, with the work carried out by CELCIS aims to establish an estimate…

Supporting change in residential child care through the use of practice profiles and Active Implementation

Year: 2023 | Topic: Active implementation, Residential care | Author: Aberlour Sycamore, CELCIS

In 2017 Aberlour Sycamore alongside CELCIS considered how consistent, high-quality residential child-care practice could be supported and imp…

A legacy: how personal stories are shaped

Year: | Topic: Voices of young people | Author: Olivia Khan

How legacy work helps children to document their lives: supporting a young person or child who has had to start again in creating their own l…

Childhood Trauma and the Poignance of Spirit

Year: | Topic: Voices of young people | Author: Annmarie Campbell

In National Storytelling Week 2023, Annmarie Campbell, member of CELCIS's Strategic Advisory Board, explains what inspired her to turn to wri…

Children’s Commissioner for England report on the separation of brothers and sisters in care

Year: 2023 | Topic: Brothers and sisters | Author: The Children's Commissioner, England

Children’s Commissioner for England has published ‘Siblings in Care’, investigating the number and circumstances of children in care who have…

The cost of surviving

Year: | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare, Financial Insecurity | Author: Christine Uwase

At this moment, it feels wrong to address what we’re living through as a cost-of-living crisis, since most people are barely living on what t…

‘Everybody has a different story’: How compassionate connections are helping to support birth parents

Year: | Topic: Adoption, Health and Wellbeing, Stigma | Author: Melanie Thomson

This Adoption Week Scotland, Melanie Thomson, a Social Worker for the Bluebird Project at Scottish Adoption, which offers counselling and sup…

Staying connected: How connections – past and present – can help to write our own futures

Year: | Topic: Adoption, Health and Wellbeing, Voices of young people, Brothers and sisters | Author: Tegan, Youth Ambassador at Scottish Adoption and Teen Talk Adoption

This Adoption Week Scotland, Tegan, a Youth Ambassador at Scottish Adoption and Teen Talk Adoption, discusses her experience of reconnecting …

Why the new John Lewis advert matters

Year: | Topic: Adoption, Foster care, Permanence, Stigma, Voices of young people | Author: Samantha Fiander

It's long been understood now that there is a pressing need to ‘reframe’ care, something being taken forward with the support of the Each and…

Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 21 No 2

Year: 2022 | Topic: Residential care | Author:

This issue’s leading article was specially commissioned to celebrate the SJRCC’s 20th year from James Anglin, Emeritus Professor of Child and…

A response from CELCIS to Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate’s consultation on the Draft Standards for Bairns’ Hoose

Year: 2022 | Topic: Child protection, Health and Wellbeing | Author: Ruth Sills, Kate Mackinnon

CELCIS’s response to Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate’s consultation on the Draft Standards for Bairns’ Hoose (Scott…

Education Forum October 2022

Year: 2022 | Topic: Education | Author: CELCIS

Emerging adulthood: Exploring the implications for Scotland's care experienced young people and those who care for, and support them

How students are helping to shape University-led and peer support for students with care experience

Year: | Topic: Corporate parenting, Education, Health and Wellbeing, Voices of young people | Author: Sam Upton

Sam Upton, President of the Strathclyde Care Experienced & Estranged Students Society, shares her thoughts on the support on offer to student…

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Government’s Physical intervention in Schools guidance consultation

Year: 2022 | Topic: Disability | Author: Sarah Deeley, Michael Bettencourt, Linda O’Neill, Lizzie Thomson

CELCIS welcomes the opportunity to provide a response to the Scottish Government’s Physical intervention in Schools draft guidance consultati…

Don’t Pity Me! Thinking Differently about Vulnerability

Year: 2022 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Education, Health and Wellbeing | Author: David Woodier

Retired teacher, adoptive parent and blogger David Woodier explores the disuse of the word vulnerability and wonders if we need to look a lit…

Could a minimum income guarantee help Scotland to keep The Promise?

Year: | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare, Financial Insecurity | Author: Paul Sullivan and Lizzie Thomson

For Challenge Poverty Week 2022, Paul Sullivan, Sector Engagement Lead and Lizzie Thomson, Policy Associate at CELCIS look the impact the cos…

A Wellbeing Economy: Lifting our gaze for those leaving care

Year: | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people, Financial Insecurity | Author: Jimmy Paul

For Challenge Poverty Week 2022, Jimmy Paul, Director at the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) Scotland, which works to promote a Wellbeing …

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Government’s Statutory School Uniform Guidance consultation

Year: 2022 | Topic: Education | Author: Linda O'Neill

CELCIS's response considers the impact and implications of local and national school uniform policies for children and young people with care…

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Government’s consultation on ‘A Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Scotland’

Year: 2022 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Health and Wellbeing, Parental mental health, Voices of young people | Author: Kate Mackinnon

To help inform and influence the proposed strategy, our response outlines pertinent issues relevant for promoting the mental health and wellb…

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s call for views on the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill

Year: 2022 | Topic: Legislation | Author: CELCIS

This short response to the Committee draws on the evidence and expertise developed for CELCIS’ comprehensive response to the Scottish Governm…

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee’s call for views on Scotland's public finances

Year: 2022 | Topic: Legislation, Local authority | Author: Kate Mackinnon

CELCIS’s response to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee’s call for views on Scotland's public finances in …

Using my creativity and experience to help other young people make informed choices

Year: | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people | Author: Ciara Waugh

Ciara Waugh is an art and design student who has been working with other young people to co-produce national information materials on the rig…

Committee on the Rights of the Child 2021 Day of General Discussion Children’s Rights and Alternative Care Outcome Report

Year: 2022 | Topic: International, Voices of young people | Author: UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

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