Scotland needs a 'shift in power' to tackle child poverty and exploitation, a leading charity has warned.
Fiona Steel, national director of Action for Children in Scotland, said the upcoming Holyrood election must be used to strengthen child protection laws.
The next government has been told it must incorporate elements of the UK's Crime and Policing Bill - which is currently making its way through Westminster - into law in Scotland.
The proposed legislation would create a new offence against adults who use a child to commit criminal activity, with a maximum of 10 years in prison for perpetrators.
The Bill is reserved to England and Wales, however, Action for Children said a legislative consent motion could be used to incorporate the policy north of the border.
Speaking at an event in the Scottish Parliament to mark 70 years of the charity's work, Ms Steel said: “In these turbulent times, there’s a need to reaffirm the basics. Scotland must love and value its children. We need a shift in power to uphold children’s rights.
“The system needs to revolve around children and families, not the other way around.”
Ms Steel said in her speech: “We can stop family crisis before it happens through the right support and my message – including to the next government in this very parliament next year – is that it should be our collective responsibility to prevent a family crisis before it strikes.
Read more:
- Kate Forbes calls for 'Urgent clarity' as Labour gifts £500m to Wales
- Can Rachel Reeves make it to Christmas as Chancellor?
- Rachel Reeves hints Labour may raise income tax in budget
“The tools of early intervention and prevention offer a better way to help families.
“It reduces the serious harm which crisis can inflict on children and families, and is an investment into helping them have a better future with less reliance on statutory services and more of a chance to flourish.”
She added: “It is the fundamental responsibility of any government to ensure every generation of children has a better childhood than the last.
“To deliver this lasting change, we need collective action, shared responsibility and accountability and that means taking concrete action.”
In a separate interview with The Herald, Ms Steel urged ministers not to "write off" children with problematic behaviour.
“We’re asking them to prevent the harm that’s happening instead of reacting to it and locking children up," she said.
Action for Children was one of 23 charities to back The Herald's child poverty campaign earlier this year. It called for the Scottish Child Payment to be increased from £27.15 to £40 per week.
It also urges the UK Government to scrap the two child benefit cap, with modelling from the Minimum Income Guarantee Expert Group suggesting it could reduce relative child poverty by six percentage points in 2030-31.
Read more:
- Ministers chose silence on For Women Scotland case
- Anas Sarwar: Downing Street row undermined UK Government
- Expert says ministers free to discuss trans prison court case
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has faced growing pressure to lift the cap, which restricts benefits to the first two children.
Ahead of the UK budget on November 26, Ms Reeves signalled she is now prepared to fully remove the benefits cap.
"A child should not be penalised because their parents don't have very much money," she said.
Scotland's Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the policy should be "confined to the darkest days of austerity".
Subject to parliamentary approval, the Scottish Government plans to mitigate the two-child limit from March next year.
Introducing a two-child limit payment, eligible recipients will receive £292.81 a month.
The Scottish Government says it is estimated the move will keep 20,000 children out of relative poverty next year.
Ms Somerville said: "I call on the Chancellor to follow our example by scrapping the caps, match the Scottish Child Payment and introduce an essentials guarantee, which would ensure universal credit actually covers the costs of life's essentials such as food and fuel."
She added: "In a country as rich as ours, no child should have to live in poverty. The UK social security system is supposed to be there to ensure a basic standard of living, reduce poverty and inequality and help people through the toughest of times.”
Share