Children must be heard in election campaign

Aberlour Children's Charity urges election candidates to support families on the brink

The voice of Scotland’s children must be heard in the looming Holyrood elections, according to a leading charity.

Aberlour Children’s Charity is urging party leaders and candidates to ensure young people and their families are not drowned out as Scotland goes to the polls in May.

Chief executive Justina Murray called on the next Scottish Parliament to show greater commitment to ending child poverty and supporting families on the brink. 

She said:

Many voices will be raised during the election, but we would urge candidates to make a particular effort to hear the concerns of children, young people and their families.”

“Child poverty does not have to be something that our country simply has to tolerate. 

“Our politicians can go further and faster but that will require greater commitment, more financial support for families, and the ambition to ensure they are not only lifted out of poverty but lifted out for good.

Murray said every policy intended to support young people and safeguard their futures must be driven by the ambition of “ending child poverty, not merely managing it.” 

She said:

That demands practical, effective policies to encourage fair work, good housing, educational attainment, and better health.

“There is much be done, but if politics is about priorities, there can be no greater priority for the next Scottish Parliament than supporting families and ending child poverty.

Aberlour, delivering frontline support for families across Scotland, is calling on the Scottish Government to prioritise ending child poverty, through policies including the strengthening of Scotland’s social security systems and an immediate increase to the Scottish Child Payment to at least £40 per week and rising to £55 by 2031.

The charity, which will invite candidates to a hustings for young people during the campaign, is also urging newly-elected MSPs to overhaul the collection of public debt, such as council tax and rent arrears, which, it warns, is far too harsh on Scotland’s most disadvantaged families, with some debt recovery systems helping keep children in poverty.

Murray highlighted additional risks faced by particularly vulnerable families, including those affected by disability, and called for greater financial help, stable support services and an ongoing commitment to on teenagers living with disability when they turn 18.

She said:

The transition to adulthood can be a fraught time for families affected by disability, when support for young people can fall between the cracks of different agencies and service providers.

“Our politicians must ensure the rights of all our children and young people are better protected, but some families face particular challenges, demanding special attention and specific support.

This article was written for The Herald and published on Saturday 21st February 2026.