Creating opportunities for care experienced young people

5 Feb 2026 11:11 AM

First Minister announces funding on anniversary of ‘The Promise’.

Projects that support the education and wellbeing of care experienced children and young people will receive a share of £9.5 million this year, First Minister John Swinney has announced on the sixth anniversary of The Promise.

The Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund, which is part of the Scottish Attainment Challenge Programme, was introduced in 2018-19, in recognition that care experienced children and young people require additional support for their attainment.

Mentoring and extra-curricular activities are among the range of ways that local authorities are investing the funding to support children and young people across Scotland.

The First Minister visited the City of Edinburgh Council’s Corporate Parenting Hub to meet young people supported by charity MCR Pathways and other services and assistance offered at the Hub – including through the We Matter Team and the Edinburgh Champions Boards.

Mr Swinney said:

“Ensuring that all children grow up feeling loved, safe and respected is a top priority for my government and we want to continue to reduce the number of children and young people who are living away from their families.

“The Scottish Government is committed to Keeping The Promise by 2030, and we are seeing good progress across Scotland from education to justice – including a 18% reduction since 2020 in the number of children identified as ‘looked after’.  

“The Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund is improving outcomes for young people across Scotland in a range of different ways – driving not only education improvements, but building broader confidence, resilience and well-being.

“The funding we are announcing today, on the sixth anniversary of The Promise, takes the Scottish Government’s total investment in the programme to just over £80 million since 2018 – showcasing how we are delivering for Scotland’s care experienced young people and helping them get the best start in life.”

Chief Executive Officer and Mentor at MCR Pathways Sharon McIntyre said:

“MCR Pathways commends today’s announcement about the continued investment in The Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund. It is critically important that care experienced children and young people feel the direct benefits from this significant commitment. Everyday, together, with partners, we see the real benefits of the power of personalised relationship based mentoring across Scotland.

"We work side by side with dynamic communities, Schools and Local Authorities like Edinburgh City Council, to bridge the opportunity gap for care experienced young people through consistent, encouraging trusted adult relationships.  No two trusted adult relationships are the same, they are bespoke to each and every young persons' needs.  These relationships empower young people to believe in themselves, value their own unique talents, build ambitions for their future careers - shaping their future fulfilling lives.  That way, confidence is built, self belief instilled, skills are developed and engagement in learning achieved.

"On this poignant 6th anniversary of The Promise, collectively we are deeply committed to working towards Scotland becoming the first to commit to a life changing Trusted Adult Guarantee for every care experienced young person in Scotland."

Councillor James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convener said:

“I warmly welcome additional funding for projects that support care experienced children and young people. We are committed to doing all we can to support children and young people who are care experienced in Edinburgh, acknowledging their experiences and providing the appropriate support to ensure they grow up loved, safe and respected so they can realise their full potential.

"We were pleased to welcome the First Minister John Swinney to our Corporate Parenting Hub in the heart of Edinburgh, showing how care experienced children and young people in the city have helped to create a welcoming space where they can meet, make friends and have fun.”

Background

Find out more about the Scottish Attainment Challenge Programme, including the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund (LINK) Pupil attainment: closing the gap - Schools - gov.scot

The Government’s Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill, currently being considered by Parliament, proposes a package of key legislative changes to further support children and families – underpinning and sitting alongside other important work to Keep the Promise.