Inside the home that keeps mums and babies together as they go through rehab

STV News has been given exclusive access to a rehabilitation service that lets mums caught in the cycle of addiction recover without being separated from their children.

Run by the charity Aberlour, the home is one of only two such facilities run by the organisation, offering just eight funded beds across the whole of Scotland.

The charity says more investment is urgently needed to expand the service and meet growing demand, with government funding only in place until March 2026.

Despite funding challenges, Aberlour helps around 70% of mums leave and continue to care for their children.

Three mums, who STV News chose not to name, spoke about their experiences.

‘Building a bond with my baby has been so special’

Emma*, 32, said she has been addicted to drugs “from a really young age.”

She had her first daughter taken into care at birth, which sent her spiralling back into drug use.

“When she got removed, it was the worst pain I’d ever felt in my life,” she said.

“I’d never had anything like it. It was horrendous.

“There was no other option for me. You don’t see a way out.”

Emma was admitted to Aberlour house when she was eight months pregnant in January.

She has been able to raise her baby while undergoing treatment.

“I never knew a place like this existed,” she said.

“People have been so nice. I could be honest with them about my drug use and that I needed help.

“Being able to come in here and build that bond with my baby is something really special I’d never had before. It was magical.

“There should be more places like this.”

‘I was scared to ask for help in case they took my baby’

Samantha says she is looking forward to a “bright future” with her baby boy after kickstarting her recovery journey at Aberlour.

The 27-year-old mum, who has battled alcoholism for a decade, was admitted to the home after she relapsed while pregnant.

She has now been sober for nine months.

She told STV News: “I always thought because of my mental health and drinking, I wouldn’t be able to have my child in my care.

“It was really difficult to ask for help. I was scared if I did ask, that’s when he would be taken off me.”

“It made me become a person I never thought I could actually be. As scary as it was, it was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

‘I feel like I can breathe here’

Another mum who has struggled with addiction for 20 years says rehab has helped turn her life around.

Sarah said she feared she would “possibly die” if her children were removed from her care.

“I was always scared to ask for help,” she said. “I kept denying I had relapsed out of fear. My kids are my world.

“Sometimes you wait a while to get in places like this. I feared they would come and remove my children and it is would make me worse and I’d possibly die.”

Sarah said she has come on “leaps and bounds” during her six week stay at the Aberlour home.

“I felt as if I could breathe when I walked through the doors. The staff are amazing. We’re all a team.”

She added: “I don’t even want to go home – we always joke that we’ll just stay there forever.”

The charity says more investment is needed to meet growing demand.

Liz Nolan, director of children and families at Aberlour, said their service is vital – one of the only organisations in Scotland offering support to families affected by addiction.

She said: “We have always believed that, where safe to do so, mums and babies and their children should remain together. We’re one of the only organisations in the country offering that support.

“When you speak about addiction being a trauma, we need to look underneath the ‘why’ of addiction. Many have had traumatic experiences growing up. Many have come from domestic abusive relationships.

“What we do here is looking to support how they overcome trauma.

“Addiction doesn’t suddenly disappear when they come here. There’s a whole host of things to work on. That recovery period can last for years.

“We work to empower them to believe they have a future with their children. The majority of women leave our care with their babies.

“It’s about choice and offering solutions to mothers and babies where and when they are needed.

“As an organisation we believe everyone deserves the chance to be their best.”