Coalition warns of “lost generation” unless urgent action is taken.
Campaigners say more must be done to increase the number of vulnerable children attending school hubs while the coronavirus crisis is ongoing.
The call, from the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), comes after it emerged that just 1% of the country’s 97,000 vulnerable young people currently attend the hubs.
Holyrood’s education and skills committee has written to education secretary John Swinney asking for urgent action to promote the hubs to parents and ensure children are not missing out on essential support.
The SCSC is backing the call, warning that Scotland faces a “lost generation” of vulnerable young people unless measures are taken to improve take-up.
A spokesperson for the coalition said: “Those children classed by the Scottish Government as vulnerable are among a group disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“There are clear concerns that just over 1,000 vulnerable school children are at childcare hubs. This amounts to less than 1% of those the Scottish Government classes as vulnerable, including being on the child protection register or having complex additional support needs.
“There are many thousands more who would benefit greatly from attendance at these hubs and more must be done by the Scottish Government to promote this message to parents and carers, as the letter makes clear, and establishing what the barriers are preventing them from doing so at present.
“It is vital that action is quickly taken to assess the requirements of these vulnerable children and young people and adequate support is provided. In addition, those who would benefit from being at a childcare hub should be provided with this.
“We know that issues as they impact on young people, such as mental health problems, will and are escalating and we must do all that we can now or we risk a lost generation of vulnerable children and young people impacted by Covid-19.”
In evidence to the committee, Mr Swinney said that parents might be discouraged from sending their children to school hubs because of the Scottish Government’s “stay at home” message.
“That raises the importance of reaching out and making sure we take support to young people and children where it is possible to do so,” he said.
