[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$f2xejkjf5mlx1v":16},{"id":4,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":8,"slug":9,"content":10,"content_overview":11,"published_at":12,"seo_title":8,"seo_description":13,"image":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15},"01m45vtvk0pdb1y7c1cqv76edp","9cdbdd6d-4900-4646-a012-d3e67a5ee788","1",false,"Panic and Promises Won't End Child Poverty","panic-and-promises-wont-end-child-poverty","\u003Cp>We live in a world that seems to spin faster every day, where all the dials are turned to 11 all the time.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The headlines crash from one calamity to another as our political leaders rush to promise emergency action while their opponents demand even more urgency. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is noisy, tiring and a few hours later, when the news cycle spins to another red alert, the last one, whatever it was, is most often forgotten. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For years now, child poverty in Scotland has been routinely described as a national emergency demanding emergency action. It is and it does but, with more than one in five children still growing up in poverty in Scotland today, is it time to ask if the language of emergency and crisis is helping?  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it only encourages more haste but less speed, a birling carousel of taskforces and committees, policy papers and special reports, but too little measured and impactful action? Are we even checking if the blizzard of promises and commitments is being delivered before starting the snow machine again? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if the endless planning and process is actually slowing us down? What if somehow all the talk is delaying implementation of practical, tested, and effective measures to improve the lives and secure the life chances of the 210,000 children growing up poor in one of the wealthiest countries in the world? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because we already know what works. We have known for years.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there are no magic bullets, no simple solutions to the complex social issues that have blighted our poorest communities for decades. Child poverty, like Scotland’s drugs crisis, another national emergency, is embedded in longstanding economic trends that have stripped far too many of our neighbourhoods of jobs and hope. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those trends will not be reversed overnight but, in the meantime, we should not let perfect be the enemy of good. As Challenge Poverty Week begins today, the biggest challenge is to see the wood not the trees, to recognise and appreciate what is already working and build on it. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are things that we know ease the impact of poverty on young lives; that have been trialled, tested and measured; that inch their families from peril to safety; that give them new strength, confidence and a path to a more secure future. So why not have more of them? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These are services that our charity and others are delivering every day, hand in glove with our partners in social work, health care and education. These are services delivering real, measurable success, making children safer, healthier and happier today and improving their chances tomorrow. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intensive family support, for example. The clue is in the name. It is the opposite of easy. Any family’s journey back from the very edge of crisis is one of hard yards and no shortcuts. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our teams arrive to work, shoulder to shoulder, with families on the point of collapse, with children often on the edge of care. Ensuring those babies and young people are safe is always the priority but, after that, keeping them with their families is the driving force because that, all research suggests, is the best way to stabilise childhoods and secure futures. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intensive family support means doing whatever it takes to keep children safe and families together. It can rebuild broken relationships; improve parents’ confidence in themselves; create new connections in communities; and help build firmer financial foundations with advice on welfare rights, maximising incomes and problem debt. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any investment in intensive family support and other specialist services, for pregnant women and new mums, for example, is more than returned in thriving families, stronger communities and money saved. Resource is better spent on intensive support keeping families safely together, than managing their separation through a lifetime of crisis-led state intervention.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our two Mother and Child Recovery Houses, in Falkirk and Dundee, for example, offer recovery spaces for pregnant and new mums with a history of substance use, allowing them to recover while staying safely with their babies. This helps keep families together and children at home, improves their futures and saves millions of pounds in avoided care costs. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is true child protection and the big question is not whether we can afford to roll out these services across Scotland but if we can afford not to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Justina Murray \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>Chief executive of Aberlour Children’s Charity \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This article was written for the Daily Record and published on Monday 5th October 2026.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>",null,"2026-10-05T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity CEO, Justina Murray, explains what must be done to end child poverty in Scotland. We know what works and we've known for years. ","media\u002FRS873_0E5A9135.jpg","2026-10-05T11:05:26.000000Z",{"id":17,"blog_author_id":6,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":18,"slug":19,"content":20,"content_overview":21,"published_at":22,"seo_title":23,"seo_description":24,"image":25,"created_at":26,"updated_at":27,"next":28,"prev":29},"01j6cdm1t203q9vrynhebcennz","Blog: Counting down to incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)","blog-counting-down-to-incorporation-of-the-uncrc","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>On the evening of 26th of March 2024, Aberlour young person, Vange attended a parliamentary event hosted by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.togetherscotland.org.uk\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)\u003C\u002Fa> and sponsored by Martin Whitfield, MSP. The reception was planned to celebrate the countdown to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.scot\u002Fpublications\u002Fstatutory-guidance-part-2-uncrc-incorporation-scotland-act-2024\u002Fpages\u002F3\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)\u003C\u002Fa> in Scots law. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Here Vange shares her reflections on the event, the experience that brought her to it, and her hopes for the future for Scotland’s children and young people.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The event highlighted the crucial involvement of children and young people in the UNCRC (incorporation) (Scotland) Bill receiving Royal Assent and celebrated it passing into an Act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere at the event was welcoming and encouraging. There was lots of networking between organisations, as well as engagement with young people.\u003Cbr \u002F>\nIt was particularly interesting to hear the perspective of other young people that were involved in the work that brought me to the celebration, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.togetherscotland.org.uk\u002Fabout-us\u002Four-work-with-children\u002Frights-detectives\u002F#:~:text=The%20Rights%20Detectives%20are%20a,SNAP%20Inverness%20and%20Who%20Cares%3F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rights Detectives\u003C\u002Fa>. Some of these young people gave talks. Two points they made in their talks that I feel stood out most were:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli>A fact – The Scottish Youth Parliament was established one day before the Scottish Parliament.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>A perspective I really related to – The Bill passed in December 2023, a week or so before one of the young people turned 18. Knowing that they weren’t so much a child anymore, they felt as though they missed out on it being in place during their childhood. I also turned 18 a week or so after the bill passed.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\u003Cp>Looking back on my experience of working with Together, the Rights Detectives were a good group to be a part of and I’m glad to see the work that happened even after I left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking to the future, the Scottish Government should continue to involve children and young people in lived experience groups, so they know that the people that inherit the aftermath of their decisions have their say. I hope that there’s real change that children and young people notice in their day to day lives due to the Act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Vange\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","\u003Cp>On the evening of 26th of March 2024, Aberlour young person, Vange attended a parliamentary event hosted by Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights) and sponsored by Martin Whitfield, MSP. The reception was planned to celebrate the countdown to incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Scots law. Here … \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-backend.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fblog-counting-down-to-incorporation-of-the-uncrc\u002F\">Continued\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","2024-05-08T00:00:00.000000Z","Blog: Counting down to incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) - Aberlour - Web Backend","Read all about Vange's, Aberlour young person, experience at a Scottish Parliament event to celebrate the countdown to incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Scots law.","media\u002FVange-Aberlour-young-person.jpg","2024-08-28T11:58:31.000000Z","2024-11-25T07:22:17.000000Z",{"id":17,"blog_author_id":6,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":18,"slug":19,"content":20,"content_overview":21,"published_at":22,"seo_title":23,"seo_description":24,"image":25,"created_at":26,"updated_at":27},{"id":30,"blog_author_id":6,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":31,"slug":32,"content":33,"content_overview":34,"published_at":35,"seo_title":36,"seo_description":37,"image":38,"created_at":26,"updated_at":27},"01j6cdm1t72ca8wqdhw1mfywgw","Scottish Government ‘must not remain blind’ to levels of School Meal Debt","must-not-remain-blind-to-levels-of-school-meal-debt","\u003Cp>Today (Monday 8th April) Scotland’s leading children’s charity has urged the Scottish Government to urgently begin monitoring levels of school meal debt after stats showed a rise in child poverty in Scotland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour Children’s Charity has said despite \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fnews-item\u002Fschool-meal-debt-cancelled\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a one-off clearing of school meal debt\u003C\u002Fa> there is still a concerning lack of monitoring of the critical role school meal debt plays in understanding the financial strain within households.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the beginning of the new financial year this week, ministers have been told they must coordinate a standardised reporting of school meal debt from Scottish local authorities, to be published either quarterly\u002Fbi-annually\u002Fannually. This initiative aims to foster transparency, accountability, and long-term planning in the fight against child hunger and food insecurity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Commenting on the demand, Martin Canavan Head of Policy and Participation at Aberlour said:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That school meal debt even exists should shame us as a society. No child should ever be burdened with debt and no child should ever go hungry in a country as rich as ours – the Government must not remain blind to the levels of school meal debt in our country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aberlour is demanding that Governments must put in place measures to prevent school meal debt in the first place and providing free school meals for all low income working families would prevent school meal debt and tackle hidden school hunger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the meantime, we must see the Government ensure that all local authorities are monitoring and reporting the level of school meal debt so that it can inform efforts to help families in need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ultimately, school meal debt serves as a stark indicator of financial strain within households. Ignoring this will only perpetuate inequality and deepen child poverty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n","\u003Cp>Today (Monday 8th April) Scotland’s leading children’s charity has urged the Scottish Government to urgently begin monitoring levels of school meal debt after stats showed a rise in child poverty in Scotland. Aberlour Children’s Charity has said despite a one-off clearing of school meal debt there is still a concerning lack of monitoring of the … \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-backend.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fmust-not-remain-blind-to-levels-of-school-meal-debt\u002F\">Continued\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","2024-04-08T00:00:00.000000Z","Scottish Government 'must not remain blind' to levels of School Meal Debt - Aberlour - Web Backend","Aberlour Children's Charity are urging the Scottish Government to urgently begin monitoring levels of school meal debt in Scotland.","media\u002Fmartin-canavan-3-min-scaled.jpg"]