MP Welcomes £500m Pledge for Care-experienced Children and Young People

Published date : 09 September, 2021

The Scottish Government has announced a £500million fund to help support families stay together and overcome challenges before they reach crisis point.

Announced as part of the latest Programme for Government, the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund will help families to overcome challenges before they reach crisis point.

Gordon Constituency MP Richard Thomson has backed the funding which aims to significantly reduce the number of children and young people in care by 2030.

The funding will provide support on a number of issues including child and adolescent mental health, child poverty, alcohol and drugs misuse and educational attainment.

It comes after the Scottish Government made a commitment to thousands of care experienced children and adults to ‘Keep The Promise’. This included ‘where children are safe in their families and feel loved they must stay – and families must be given support together to nurture that love and overcome the difficulties which get in the way’.

Commenting, Richard Thomson MP said:

“This is a very welcome piece of action from the Scottish Government which will help improve the lives of families as a whole allowing them to stay together where possible.

“Care experienced children and young adults need supported as much as possible and it is only right we create the mechanism so that it isn’t just a ‘system’ but includes compassion, love and support.

“It is absolutely right that the programme has a focus on preventing children or young people having to go into care in the first place, allowing more families to stay together and I whole-heartedly support this move.”

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