Scottish Government
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Children's early years
Children's Minister Adam Ingram has today welcomed new ideas and proposals from Professor Susan Deacon on how to improve children's early years.
The report was commissioned by the Scottish Government last year because Ministers felt that while successive Governments - local and national - had recognised the importance of the early years, progress in this area had not been made quickly enough and needed to be stepped up.
He said:
"Today's report is a welcome contribution to the evolving debate about the importance of the earliest years, including our own report on the economic benefits of early years investment. We will need time to fully consider Professor Deacon's suggestions for action. However, I broadly welcome the report, in particular the emphasis on creating a 'bias for action' to accelerate the aims of the joint Scottish Government/Cosla Early Years Framework and the call for a change in attitudes, behaviours and culture to make Scotland a better place for children and families.
"Not all the recommendations cost money - like love, play and bedtime stories. That was the basis of our Play, Talk, Read campaign and will provide a platform upon which we can build. However, some proposals do have cost implications and given the financial constraints facing us, everyone inside and outside Government will need to consider how we place greater emphasis on preventative spending and effective collaboration to improve services for children and families, and avoid the need for more costly interventions later on.
"Several proposals call for increased central government direction including universal parenting provision and legislation to support preventative spending. Through the Concordat we sought to work with local partners to enable them to develop services locally, tailored to local needs, underpinned by a national set of principles. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages and we will need to consider these proposals further.
"Finally, I want to thank Professor Deacon and everyone else who contributed their views and thoughts for this piece of work. She has brought forward a series of informed suggestions which will bring a refreshing new approach to this key area for Government and all those who have a role to play in building a better future for Scotland's children. While some of the proposals were quite radical, they will all be given full and careful consideration."
The Scottish Government announced in June, that Professor Deacon has been appointed to undertake work on improving the early years of children's lives.
