Scottish Government has introduced the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill to Scottish Parliament, marking a step toward fulfilling its “Keep The Promise” commitment.

The Promise is the national commitment that Scotland’s children and young people will grow up loved, safe and respected.

To keep it, Scotland must bring about the changes set out in the Independent Care Review, which was built on what care-experienced children and young people had to say, over a period of 3 years.

When its findings were published in 2020, Scotland’s First Minister pledged that the country would #KeepThePromise, a commitment which was supported by all parties in Scottish Parliament.

Scotland aims to achieve the Promise by 2030, through mapping out what needs to change and keeping track of what’s already happened. The Promise Scotland aims to help make sure this can happen by supporting people and organisations as they work to #KeepThePromise.

The Bill includes 8 key proposals to improve outcomes for care-experienced children and young people:

Extending eligibility for Aftercare support to young people who were in care before their 16^th
Introducing a legal right to advocacy for children, young people, and adults with care experience.
Improving the language of care to ensure it is respectful and inclusive.
Tackling profit-making in residential care through legislative reform.
Strengthening not-for-profit principles in foster care.
Creating a national register for foster carers to improve standards and transparency.
Redesigning the Children’s Hearings System to better serve the needs of young people.
Expanding statutory responsibilities to Integrated Joint Boards (IJBs) for Children’s Services Planning.

The Bill also emphasises collaboration across sectors, with officials encouraging ongoing engagement as the legislation progresses through the parliamentary process, and that it is just one component of a broader, ongoing effort across national and local levels to transform the care system in Scotland.

Speaking on the Bill’s introduction, a government spokesperson expressed gratitude for the continued engagement and partnership efforts that have been instrumental in advancing this work. “Success in our commitment will only come through collaboration,” they said, acknowledging the collective effort of individuals and organisations across Scotland.

“Together, we can continue the progress to keep The Promise,” the spokesperson concluded.

Those wishing to contribute to the Bill by sharing ideas and supporting action should contact the dedicated team, by email:

For further information, please visit the Bill’s dedicated page on the Scottish Parliament website (linked for your convenience), or view the Scottish Government news article.