The Scottish government has announced funding it says will help “transform family support services and reduce the number of children going into care”.
Local authorities will receive £32 million in Whole Family Wellbeing Funding for 2022-23, with a further £6 million available to support this work.
The funding will “build services that focus on prevention and early intervention”, aimed at supporting families before they reach crisis points.
Arrangements for distributing the remaining £12 million of Whole Family Wellbeing Funding committed for 2022-23 are being finalised.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:
“It is essential that we provide the right kind of support to enable families to thrive so that, ultimately, fewer children and young people go into care.
“Whole Family Wellbeing Funding aims to transform the way support is delivered by ensuring families can access seamless support that meets their individual needs.
“The £50 million committed in 2022-23 will focus on building the capacity for further investment from 2023-24 onwards. This funding is a critical part of how we will keep the Promise by helping families access the support they need, where and when they need it.
“Our ambition is that from 2030, we will be investing at least 5% of all community-based health and social care spend in preventative whole family support measures.”