Home-Start Scotland has signed a letter alongside 27 other children and families charities urging political parties to recognise all families’ right to support.

The past year has been a challenge for all families. Restrictions put in place in response to the pandemic placed families under financial strain, limited access to community and professional services and separated parents from the much needed support of family and friends, leading to increased feelings of isolation, loneliness and other mental health concerns.

Many families who were getting by before the pandemic have struggled under these new pressures and those who were already vulnerable are likely to have been hit hardest. We need to protect all children and families from the long-term impact of the pandemic and commit to rebuilding our society in a way that ensures future generations will not experience the same vulnerabilities in the face of another crisis.

But as the old adage goes, with crisis comes opportunity. We have the chance to learn from both our mistakes and successes as we move forward. We are proud to join this coalition in calling on political parties to ‘enter into a new relationship with Scotland’s families’ to ensure that

• All families have a right to family support, as with other public services free at the point of need.
• A bold funding commitment given to match the scale of this ambition.
• There is a fundamental redesign of existing structures and services, with the views and voices of families and young people at the heart of this redesign.
• Family support services are not a ‘one-size-fits all’ but tailored to what individual families want and need.

As we head to the polls on 6^th May, we hope to hear from candidates how they plan to rebuild this relationship with Scotland’s families because #FamiliesHaveARightToSupport.

You can read the letter here.