Martin Crewe: Now is the time to invest in Scotland's children

All the parties made firm commitments to tackle child poverty and disadvantage. Labour and the SNP both called for evidence-based early intervention programmes to improve the life chances for children in Scotland's deprived communities. The SNP has promised new legislation to ensure consistency of support for very young children wherever they are growing up.

This consensus is very welcome. It's based on the overwhelming evidence that proves what seems instinctively right – the earlier help is provided the more effective it is. Indeed throughout Barnardo's 144-year history we have sought to demonstrate that prevention is always better than cure. We know that as a nation we are failing some of our children, and the long-term social costs that result. In financial terms the Scottish Government's own figures show that by investing in early years from pre-birth to aged five could realise potential net savings of up to 37,400 per year per child in severe cases and approximately 5,100 per year for a child with more moderate needs.

But we have heard the rhetoric on preventative spending before – will we see real changes in budget decisions this time? In many ways there has never been a better opportunity. The current budget cuts mean we will have to see wholesale changes in how public services are delivered. We could therefore seize this opportunity to transform services, reducing the burden of "negative spending" by investing to stop problems before they get any worse.

But there is a real danger the short-term budget pressures force through cuts that undermine good long-term work. That is why the proposed legislation and early intervention programmes are so important. The new parliament and government will therefore have to decide – will they keep their promises and prioritise long-term investment for all of Scotland's children?

• Martin Crewe is director of Barnardo's Scotland