Children’s Commissioner warns that early years implementation must improve urgently

Date: 26th October 2010
Category: Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

Scottish Government needs to set a clear lead and local authorities and health boards need to pool resources to intervene early with vulnerable or troubled families, otherwise, problems such as child neglect and behavioural difficulties will continue from one generation to the next.

That's the stark warning from Tam Baillie, Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People who published a study on Scotland's Early Years Framework.

The Commissioner pointed out that while the Scottish Government's Early Years Framework provides a welcome strategy for transforming the life chances of every child in Scotland, its successful implementation is being compromised.

Commenting on the study, The Commissioner said:
"This study allows us to draw some wider conclusions about the picture across Scotland and it's clear that we need a much stronger approach at a national level to achieve the ambitions set out in the Early Years Framework, to break the cycle of poverty, inequality and poor outcomes through the early years.

• Read the full press release from SCCYP here.
• Read the News Guardian article here.