Current status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 16 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how it is effectively identifying children and young people who are at risk of being taken into care, and what measures it is putting in place to provide the high level of support required by those at risk of being taken into care.
The Scottish Government remains committed to Keeping The Promise by 2030, working in partnership with all partners including Local Authorities, the third sector and importantly the care community to create the conditions for change at a national and local level.
We continue to support a wide range of projects and initiatives across communities in Scotland that improve outcomes for children, young people, adults and families who are care experienced and those on the edges of care.
The Scottish Government has committed £4 million per year up to March 2025 for The Promise Partnership Fund which launched in 2021. This has been established to help organisations with early intervention and to deliver changes to better support children, young people and families in or on the edges of care.
The 2023-24 budget allocated £30 million towards Keeping The Promise to children and families with care experience. In addition, £50 million has been allocated for Whole Family Wellbeing Funding. This funding will focus on the system changes required to shift investment towards early intervention and prevention activities, to ensure families can access support before they reach crisis point.