Minister for Children and Young People

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The Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet. The post was created in May 2007 after the appointment of the Scottish National Party minority administration and the minister reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, who has overall responsibility for the portfolio, and is a member of Cabinet. The Minister for Children and Young people has specific responsibility for the social services workforce, childcare and preschool, children's services, children's hearings and the Care Inspectorate.[1]

## Overview[edit]

The post holder is responsible for:[2]

* The Promise - reports to the First Minister
* early years
* child protection
* adoption and fostering
* children's hearings
* children's rights
* children's services
* looked after children
* Disclosure Scotland
* protection of vulnerable groups
* play, including play parks
* outdoor learning
* children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism
* Kinship Carers
* transitions for those with disabilities and/or autism
* creating positive futures
* Bairn's Hoose (working jointly with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs)

## History[edit]

From 1999 to 2000, responsibility for Children and Early Years rested with the Minister for Children and Education, which became the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs in the McLeish Government of 2000 to 2001. From 2001 to 2007 the portfolio rested with the Minister for Education and Young People. The Salmond government, elected following the 2007 Scottish Parliament election created the junior post of the Minister for Children and Early Years to assist the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. The post was renamed Minister for Children and Young People in June 2018.[3] The post was further renamed in March 2023 when Humza Yousaf became First Minister to 'Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise'. This was to further the work that the Scottish Government had taken forward for those young people who are or had been care experienced.[4]

## Minister[edit]

The current Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise is Natalie Don.[5]

### Minister for Children and the Early Years[edit]

Name  | Portrait  | Entered Office  | Left Office  | Party  | First Minister
| Adam Ingram |  | 17 May 2007  | 20 May 2011  | Scottish National Party | Alex Salmond

### Minister for Children and Young People[edit]

| Angela Constance |  | 20 May 2011  | 7 December 2011  | Scottish National Party | Alex Salmond
| Aileen Campbell |  | 7 December 2011  | 18 December 2014
(on maternity leave) | Scottish National Party | Alex Salmond
Nicola Sturgeon
| Fiona McLeod |  | 18 December 2014  | 31 August 2015  | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon
| Aileen Campbell |  | 31 August 2015  | 18 May 2016  | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon

### Minister for Childcare and Early Years[edit]

| Mark McDonald |  | 18 May 2016  | 7 November 2017  | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon
| Maree Todd |  | 7 November 2017  | 27 June 2018  | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon

### Minister for Children and Young People[edit]

| Maree Todd |  | 27 June 2018  | 20 May 2021  | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon
| Clare Haughey |  | 20 May 2021  | 28 March 2023  | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon

### Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise[edit]

Name  | Portrait  | Entered Office  | Left Office  | Party  | First Minister
| Natalie Don |  | 28 March 2023  | Incumbent | Scottish National Party | Humza Yousaf

## See also[edit]

* Scottish Parliament
* Scottish Government

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Ministerial responsibilities: Education portfolio". Scottish Government. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
2. ^ "Minister for Children and Young People".
3. ^ "Minister for Children and Young People". Scottish Government. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
4. ^ https://www.gov.scot/about/who-runs-government/cabinet-and-ministers/minister-for-children-young-people--keeping-the-promise/
5. ^ https://www.gov.scot/about/who-runs-government/cabinet-and-ministers/minister-for-children-young-people--keeping-the-promise/. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)

## External links[edit]

* Cabinet and Ministers on Scottish Government website
* Minister for Children and Young People on Scottish Government website

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Scottish Junior Ministers

Yousaf government

* George Adam (Parliamentary Business)
* Tom Arthur (Community Wealth and Public Finance)
* Siobhian Brown (Victims and Community Safety)
* Graeme Dey (Higher and Further Education and Veterans)
* Natalie Don (Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise)
* Joe FitzPatrick (Local Government Empowerment and Planning)
* Patrick Harvie (Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights)
* Jamie Hepburn (Independence)
* Richard Lochhead (Small Business, Innovation and Trade)
* Gillian Martin (Energy)
* Christina McKelvie (Culture, Europe and International Development)
* Paul McLennan (Housing)
* Jenni Minto (Public Health and Women's Health)
* Emma Roddick (Equalities, Migration and Refugees)
* Lorna Slater (Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity)
* Kevin Stewart (Transport)
* Maree Todd (Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport)
* Elena Whitham (Drugs and Alcohol Policy)

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* Politics of Scotland

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