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Focus must be on future

DECIDING when is the right time to take a child into care is the subject of a long-running debate which is renewed every time there is a tragic death involving neglect or abuse.

The balance between trying to protect youngsters from harm yet keep families together is a fine line to negotiate and mistakes will inevitably occur.

With the number of children in care in Scotland now at its highest level since the early 1980s, the state is increasingly stepping in to care for vulnerable youngsters. It is difficult to judge whether that is a positive move which will protect more children or whether authorities are now being too quick to act.

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