First Minister pledges to listen to 1,000 care experienced young people
26 September 2016
First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, this week met with a group of children and young people at Who Cares? Scotland to kick off a project which aims to improve the lives of children in care.
The visit was centred around the 1,000 voices manifesto, compiled by Who Cares? Scotland and a coalition of charities, which has three main aims:
- To let you people return to care and extend aftercare;
- To make sure young people who are looked after at home get the support they need;
- To make sure more young people have a chance at getting and keeping a job.
The First Minister said:
"Every child should have the best start in life and an equal chance to succeed. Yet for far too many young people in care, and through absolutely no fault of their own, that’s not the case.
"Children and young people are the best advocates for change and I am delighted to commit to listen to 1,000 people with experience of care.
"I’ve heard today some powerful stories of incredible strength and success in the most adverse of circumstances. Every person will have a different experience and over the next two years, I’ll spend time meeting many more young people or hearing their stories.
"By listening more to our young people, and by hearing what works and how the care system can improve, we’ll be able to make meaningful, lasting change and ensure children in care get the same support, stability and life chances that the rest of us take for granted."
