Parents targeted to boost children's chances

VULNERABLE children at risk of poor health and under-achievement will be targeted as early as conception in an attempt to reverse their low life chances, it was announced yesterday.

In a new policy shift, Alex Salmond wants their parents to be given as much support and help as necessary to turn this situation around.

At the heart of the First Minister's proposal, detailed in a consultation document launched yesterday, is a move from "picking up the pieces" after children have started to experience problems, to "early intervention" to prevent the problems from emerging in the first place.

Parents will be given help and advice to quit smoking, stop drinking and improve diet and will be told about the best ways to ensure children get a healthy start to life, including breastfeeding. Adam Ingram, the children's minister, said: "The early part of a child's life is a key opportunity to build resilience and seek to prevent the appearance of problems later in life."

Access to antenatal care will also be improved for parents with greater needs. Help is also to be provided to parents or carers with literacy or numeracy problems of their own, so they can then help their youngsters.

The planned reduction in class sizes to 18 in primaries one to three is also among the aims of the document, despite opposition criticism that it could not be achieved , as well as the proposed phased introduction of free school meals. The place of Gaelic is also to be secured within the early-years strategy.

However, the policy was last night branded "light on detail" by Labour.

Rhona Brankin, Labour's education spokeswoman, said: "(The SNP's] actions in government say more about how much they value children and young people.

"Withdrawing funding for nursery places for the most vulnerable two-year-olds, closing crches in Edinburgh and denying families with disabled children respite care is the true story of the government's early-years strategy."

The launch of the consultation paper was knocked off course when Mr Salmond was confronted by about six mothers on his way into the Greengables family centre in Edinburgh, angry at the proposed closure of crche facilities in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Leisure has announced plans to cut six out of its eight crches to save 300,000. A final decision on the proposed closures will be taken tomorrow, according to the protesters.