Scotland

Sure Start Scotland provides broad-based support for families with very young children. The aim is to expand the availability of support focussing on more deprived communities and vulnerable families.

Research has demonstrated the benefit of directing support to families with very young children to help children fulfil their potential and be in a position to get the most from subsequent opportunities including, most immediately, pre-school education.

Sure Start Scotland is therefore a key element of Ministers’ broad programme of action to promote social inclusion.

Funding

In Scotland, Sure Start funding has been allocated to all 32 local authorities. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it, which includes funding for Sure Start as part of the overall local government finance settlement, on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the agreed set of national outcomes, including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and the full terms of the concordat.

£59.9m has been allocated to the local authorities this financial year (2008/09) to work in partnership with health and relevant voluntary sector organisations. This demonstrates our commitment to the initiative and our recognition that Sure Start is not a quick fix solution.

Contact

Sure Start Scotland is the responsibility of the Safer Children, Stronger Families Division, within the Children, Young People and Social Care Group of the Scottish Government, and further information is available from:

Margaret Tod - 0131 244 7024

Heather Brown - 0131 244 7123

If you would prefer to write our address is:

Scottish Government
Safer Children, Stronger Families Division
Area 2B North
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ

E-mail: firstname.surname@scotland.gsi .gov.uk

For further information visit Sure Start Scotland.

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