Today’s Programme for Government was an opportunity for the First Minister and his Government to demonstrate courageous leadership in eradicating child poverty through bold action. We are deeply disappointed that this opportunity was missed, particularly the failure to increase the Scottish Child Payment – a step that could have lifted 15,000 out of poverty.
includem will continue engaging with the development of the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026 – 31 and advocate for targeted, practical policies to address the real challenges faced by children, young people and families we support across the country.
We welcome further investment in additional support for learning and the expansion of free school meals for eligible children and young people in S1 – S3 in eight local authorities. However, this investment still falls significantly short of meeting the scale of need.
Keeping the Promise remains central to our work and we are committed to ensuring that the children, young people and families we work alongside have meaningful opportunities to engage with Children and Young People (Care) (Scotland) Bill as it is progresses through Parliament.
We call again for action that is needed to deliver the ambition of ending child poverty in Scotland. We stand ready to work with the Scottish Government and partners to ensure every child and young person can grow up safe, supported, and free from poverty.
