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Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise
Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise
Scottish Gaelic: Ministear na Cloinne, na h-Òigridh agus An Gealladh
	Incumbent; Natalie Don; since 29 March 2023
Style	Minister ; (within parliament) ; Children's Minister ; (informal) ; Scottish Children's Minister ; (outwith Scotland)
Member of	Scottish Parliament; Scottish Government;
Reports to	Scottish Parliament
Seat	Edinburgh
Appointer	First Minister
Inaugural holder	Adam Ingram ; Minister for Children and the Early Years
Formation	17 May 2007
Salary	£106,185 per annum (2024); (including £72,196 MSP salary)
Website	www.gov.scot

The Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a junior minister, the holder does not attend the Scottish Cabinet. The incumbent 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, Young People and The Promise has specific responsibility for the social services workforce, childcare and preschool, children's services, children's hearings and the Care Inspectorate.^[2] The current holder of the role is Natalie Don who was appointed in March 2023 upon the formation of the First Yousaf Government.

Overview

The post holder is responsible for:^[3]

adoption and fostering
Bairn's Hoose (reporting jointly with Minister for Victims and Community Safety)
child protection
children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism
children's hearings
children's rights
children's services
Creating Positive Futures
Disclosure Scotland
early years
kinship carers
looked after children
outdoor learning
play, including play parks
protection of vulnerable groups
The Promise - reports to First Minister
transitions for those with disablities and/or autism

History

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.^[4]

The post was further renamed in March 2023 when Humza Yousaf became First Minister to Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, before later being changed to Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise when Yousaf was replaced by John Swinney. This was to further the work that the Scottish Government had taken forward for those young people who are or had been care experienced.^[3]

Minister

The current Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise is Natalie Don.^[3]

Name		Entered Office	Left Office	Party	First Minister
Minister for Children and the Early Years
	Adam Ingram	17 May 2007	20 May 2011	Scottish National Party	Alex Salmond
Minister for Children and Young People
	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
	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
	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 the Promise
	Natalie Don	28 March 2023^[a]	Incumbent	Scottish National Party	Humza Yousaf