A letter to the First Minister on World Children's Day

Dear First Minister,

On World Children’s Day, I write to urge you to put children’s rights first at a time when we are facing a childhood emergency in Scotland.   

Shockingly, our research has shown that almost two-thirds of adults believe growing up in the country is worse than before. This is a far cry from the Scottish Government’s commitment for Scotland to be ‘the best place to grow up’.  

As Scotland’s national children’s charity, we are here to protect all Scotland’s children from harm. We stand up for children, keep them safe and support them to recover from trauma and abuse through our national and local services.   

We see far too many children across the country that do not have access to the basics – a home, a bed, food on the table and an education. Increasingly, children and families are reaching for help but struggling to find it. This means challenges grow into crises, and more pressure is placed on struggling care, protection and justice systems.  

Children’s rights to adequate health and healthcare (Article 24) continue to go unmet with thousands of children languishing on waiting lists for diagnosis and support. Services, including our own are so overwhelmed that children have no option for support unless they are in the most serious distress. This is unacceptable. 

At the same time, our services offering support to these children are facing significant cuts in funding.

Children and young people’s mental health is in crisis. Children are facing unprecedented pressures and smartphones, social media and harmful online content are having a horrific impact on health, wellbeing and development. Sadly, the reality is that childhood in Scotland is getting shorter in the fast-paced and dangerous world we now live in.  

Stubborn rates of poverty and homelessness in Scotland undermine children’s right to an adequate standard of living, including food, clothing and housing (Article 27). It is shameful that one in four children are in poverty and the number of children in temporary accommodation is now over ten thousand. This has a serious impact on the health and wellbeing of children and families we support.

Children and young people are facing violence every day - in their homes, schools, relationships and local communities. Their rights to be protected from harm, including sexual abuse and exploitation (Article 19) and to have the support they need to recover (Article 39) are repeatedly breached.  Exhausting delays in the justice system mean that fear and anticipation about going to court lasts years.

Without support to recover, traumatic experiences can have a long-term impact on children’s lives. It can lead to a lack of sleep, anxiety, fear, flashbacks and missing school. Recent warnings about potential three-year delays to justice indicate that children will continue to suffer.  

We recognise that we are in a difficult financial context. But our children are Scotland’s future, and they must come first.  

In the year that the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 came into force, children are seeing their rights regress. This must stop.  

Priority should be given to work that will prevent children and families reaching a cliff-edge and that upholds and embeds children’s rights.  Increasing funding available through the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund would be a step in the right direction. 

Children’s rights must be at the forefront of upcoming budget decisions. 

We would welcome further discussion on this and look forward to your response.  

Kind regards,

Mary Glasgow
Chief Executive, Children First