Early Years Fund launched at North Edinburgh Arts

A new £6.8 m fund to help improve children’s lives was launched by Children’s Minister Adam Ingram, during a visit to family support projects in North Edinburgh on Tuesday (8 March).  The Early Years and Early Action Fund is designed to help national voluntary sector organisations work with local projects to improve support for children and families during the crucial formative years.

The importance of the effective support for children during their early years and the difference this can make to their future health, well being, attainment and life chances was underlined last week in Professor Susan Deacon’s report  ‘Joining the Dots’. That report also called for greater collaboration between the public, private and voluntary sector to provide services for children and families.

Mr Ingram visited the Circle’s Haven Project at Craigroyston Primary School, where he met staff and families,  before launching the fund at North Edinburgh Arts Centre.

Mr Ingram explained:  “This £6.8 million fun is designed to improve the outcomes for vulnerable young children and to help them achieve their potential and will also support national voluntary organisations to do the kind of good work we can all see here today but which you will also be delivering through you own organisations across Scotland.”

He went on:  “The Fund is an opportunity to support innovative partnerships and it will support the broad ambitions of the Early Years Framework.  In particular, we will fund a range of activities that particularly focus on parenting, play, childcare, child or maternal health, through projects that will build the capacity of parents, families and communities to improve the outcomes for their children.  I am grateful to Inspiring Scotland for agreeing to administer the fund and bring their unique venture philanthropy model to the process.”

The minister concluded:  “Social enterprise is a model which offers a positive route for those seeking to strengthen their communities from within.  I would like to see more community-based enterprises like the Care and Learning Alliance – with over 300 members working throughout the Highlands, Moray and Argyll & Bute they offer a one-door approach to a broad range of childcare and family support services.  This is another example of the sector at it’s best – responding to local needs to empower parents and communities.  I would like to invite you all to consider fresh ideas and potential collaborations.”

Welcoming the announcement Liz Dahl, Chief Executive of West Pilton-based Circle Scotland, said:  “I am sure I can speak for all my voluntary sector colleagues here when I restate the importance of investing early in the lives of the vulnerable families we work with.  And more than ever, the voluntary sector is in need of additional funding for this particularly vital area of work.  Here at Circle, it could support the work we do at projects like Haven, work that allows us to build on the incredible strengths that families have – often in the face of adversity – and support them to find meaningful solutions.  It could support the specific work we do with fathers of young children when they are the main carers, but can find themselves on the periphery of services and resources.  And it could support the intensive work we do with young families affected by parental drug or alcohol use, and the growing number of young families we work with who are affected by the imprisonment of a parent.”

She went on:  “We are delighted to have the minister here today, reaffirming this government’s commitment to putting the needs of young children and their families to the fore, and investing in services that will help to realise the ambitions of the Early Years Framework.  ‘Early Years, Early Action’ is exactly what is needed.  We all know that investing in the early years provides the greatest chance for families.  And we know that the best outcomes for families are achieved when support is provided which is preventative and timely”.