Image source, Aberlour

Childcare and Early Years Minister Mark McDonald announces £3.28m for looked after children, external.

Charities supporting looked after children and vulnerable families to help prevent children becoming looked after have been awarded the money.

Twenty seven organisations, including Aberlour, external, Includem, external, Mentor Scotland, external and the NSPCC, external will continue their work in this area thanks to awards from the 2017-18 Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund.

The funding will also cover eight specific projects, including an innovative scheme to help looked after children use the law to maintain contact with siblings and a project that provides therapeutic interventions for looked after children and other vulnerable young people in Glasgow.                               

Monica Lennon says Scottish Labour will be supporting the government motion and the Scottish Conservative amendment.

The Scottish Labour MSP we owe it to all of the children in care to get it right and the government review is welcome.

Ms Lennon says it is important that proactive voices are sought out and that there is a whole system approach.

"The care system does not exist in a vacuum and neither can this review." She says.

Mr Balfour says it is important that the review looks at the who system to check how successfully or unsuccessfully agencies collaborate.

Image source, Science Photo Library

The Tory MSP says "it is imperative" that young people can describe their own experiences over the course of the review.

He says is is all councillors that are corporate guardians and they are there to scrutinise and ask question.

"Not all councillors take this seriously enough," he says.

Image source, bbc

Conservative MSP Jeremy Balfour says the statistics for looked after children are improving, however the Scottish government has acknowledged that life chances for this group remain poor.

Mr Balfour says what happens to children when they leave care must be monitored too.

He says the Scottish Conservatives welcome the independent review of Scotland's care system.

Here is the Scottish Conservative amendment. 

Image source, Scottish Parliament

Mr Macdonald says he will not wait until the end of the review to act on proposals to help children in care.

The childcare and early years minister says children want a care system where they feel love and this is the most complex challenge.

He calls on all parties to work together to meet this challenge.

Mr McDonald says the review will include people with care experience so their voices will be heard.

The minister announces £3.3m of funding for organisations working to provide better outcomes for looked after children.

An emotional Nicola Sturgeon told her party's conference in October, that she was to undertake a "root and branch review" of Scotland's children in care system.

In addition she pledged more choice to parents over pre-school childcare.

Image source, PA

Ms Sturgeon says:  "Recently, I've been spending some time with young people who have grown up in care.

"Some of them are here today. Their stories have moved me deeply.

Image source, bbc

"These young people have challenged me to accept Who Cares? Scotland's pledge to listen to 1,000 care experienced young people over the next two years.

"And then to use what they tell me to help make their lives better. I've accepted that challenge."

Childcare and Early Years Minister Mark McDonald uses his motion to welcome the first-ever independent review of Scotland's care system.

Image source, bbc

Mr McDonald says the approach will be collaborative, working with care-experienced young people, relevant professionals and carers to gain insight and develop meaningful improvements agrees to inform the review through the voices of care-experienced young people.

He says the recommendations should be achievable, and supports the need to embed sustainable, ongoing improvement so that every child who experiences the care system has their needs fully met and feels loved.

That concludes the first minister's statement on her Brexit proposals. 

The first minister says she has enormous respect for Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw.

Ms Sturgeon says, however, that the question he has asked demeans him.

She adds that there is nothing in this paper that would put off people from the rest of the UK wanting to live in Scotland.

The first minister says for "goodness sake" let's raise the quality of questions and debate the real issues that currently face Scotland.

Scottish Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw say the first minister places undue emphasis on the EU.

He adds, "given that we rely on movement of people from the rest of the UK," how can it be a good idea to put up borders between Scotland and rUK?

Ms Sturgeon says she has seen the evidence of Angus Soft Fruits which she says in many ways encapsulates the fears of many businesses around Brexit.

The first minister says this is why freedom of movement is so important.

She was responding to a question from SNP MSP John Mason.

Ms Sturgeon says the Scottish government argued for worker's rights consistently and has been consistent in arguing for powers coming to the parliament.

Scottish Labour MSP Richard Leonard raises the issue of the varying markets being discussed. 

The first minister says this paper, external sets out in detail how to ensure free trade with the rest of the UK while remaining in the single market.

Scottish Conservative MSP Alexander Stewart says the UK is one of the strongest economies in the world and one that benefits Scotland more than the EU.

Mr Stewart asks if it will be easy to continue free trade with England if Scotland remains in the EU.

Ms Sturgeon says proposals must be steered through the UK process in the Brexit negotiations.

The first minister says there is an opportunity to try to get more powers for the Scottish Parliament.