Rights are not optional whether they are children's or their parents

Rights are not in competition with one another

Children do not exist in isolation, their families must be supported, heard and included too

The law only works if we make it work for children and families

#WorldChildrensDay

We hope that #WorldChildrensDay can be a reminder that rights are real, in the most part families are essential to children's health, wellbeing and development, and adults must act to make these rights a reality in every child’s life.

Children & parents are deeply connected. The wellbeing & rights of one affect the other. Parents aren’t just supporters, hey are essential caregivers, advocates & partners in ensuring children’s rights are realised.

Adults are the duty bearers.

Government, local authorities, policy makers, professionals and others carry the legal & moral responsibility to uphold, protect & promote children’s rights, always.

The focus should be on respecting and upholding rights is on the adults, not the children

One major challenge is myths & misinformation about children’s rights that we are often from families and professionals alike, that children’s rights are conditional or come with responsibilities. They are not.

Embedding the UNCRC in law gives us a chance to close this gap, but only if we build a culture where:

✅ Families are supported, included & listened to
✅ Professionals are equipped to uphold children’s rights
✅ Decisions are made with families, not to them

Children and parents both have legal rights, but barriers too often prevent these rights from being fully realised. These barriers create consequences that ripple across the whole family. That must change.

Families can’t do it alone. They need support and recognition as essential partners, not just in caring & raising children, but in changing the culture and systems within Scotland to ensure policy and law works in real life.

But evidence & lived experience show a persistent implementation gap. Despite strong policy, too many families still don’t feel the benefits of Scotland’s frameworks in their everyday lives and this has real life consequences.

Those of us campaigning, or working in sectors that support children, alongside families themselves, hope national policy and law will transform our culture and improve family life especially now the UNCRC is embedded in Scots law.

This is not just about local government performance. It’s about whether our democracy at the most local level still works for the people it’s supposed to serve.

This survey suggests it doesn't.

There are so many examples of what *should* be a wake up call for decision makers and leaders. This is another one.

If they ignore it, the erosion of trust in local democracy will only worsen and outcomes for people in Scotland will continue to suffer.

Scotland deserves better.

We need:

✅ Councils involving and responding to communities
✅ Leaders who are accountable & transparent
✅ Real focus on the issues that impact people’s lives

Where’s the spotlight on this?

Outcomes thadon’t match people’s needs.

Communities left unheard.

A culture of finger-pointing instead of accountability.

Trust is the foundation of democracy.

Without it, people disengage, feel powerless and turn away from the system entirely.

When half of survey participants feel disrespected by their council, that’s not a comms problem. That’s a legitimacy and democratic problem.

There's a clear disconnect between power and people’s priorities in their local communities.

Barely 1/3 of people believe councils deal with the issues that affect their quality of life & neighbourhood.

These are not just poor satisfaction scores. They are a warning sign of something deeper, reflecting a failure of democratic accountability at the local level.

Scotland’s crisis in local democracy rarely gets any spotlight.

The latest Household Survey shines a harsh light that trust in local councils is collapsing.

Only 51% of people feel their council treats them with dignity & respect.

Our campaign was founded on the basis of local democracy failures across Scotland regarding parent and children's rights, education and local decision making.

Seven years on, still talking about this.