Nicola Sturgeon urges support for Scotland’s care bill, calling it vital to meet 2030 goals despite criticism and systemic flaws.

Nicola Sturgeon, in her final public appearance as an MSP, stressed that delivering Scotland’s 2020 Promise to improve outcomes for care-experienced youth would be “unthinkable” to fail, urging support for the current Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill as a critical first step. She acknowledged the legislation is incomplete but called for sustained effort and cultural change to meet the 2030 goal. Critics, including Ethan Mulhall of Who Cares? Scotland, warned the bill is too narrow and risks being rushed. A recent report by the auditor general and Accounts Commission found inadequate early planning, unclear responsibilities, and delayed monitoring systems, hindering progress. The Scottish Government said it takes the findings seriously and plans to deliver a revised framework and monitoring system by late 2025.