The importance of early intervention has been talked about by successive governments and as a concept is far from new. It already lies at the heart of a range of our policies from the Early Years Framework to the work we are doing to tackle poverty and health inequalities through Achieving Our Potential and Equally Well.

There is also no shortage of existing international evidence highlighting just how crucial the early years are for a child’s future health, development and life chances. These have shown the significant cost benefits to society from investing in the early years, with every £1 spent then, saving anything from between £3 and £7 later on in a child’s life.

However, until today, we did not have detailed information on the potential impact of effective early intervention here in Scotland, looking at the benefits for children, as well as the public purse, in the short, medium and long terms. 

That’s why, the Scottish Government has undertaken its own research in this area, building on the previous evidence available. The research shows that savings can be generated in the short, medium and long terms – so service providers don’t have to wait for many years to see the financial benefits from adopting this approach. 

The research shows that in the medium term, effective support for children from before they are born until the age of eight, could save Scotland’s public services up to £131 million a year. Conversely, failing to provide this support early in the child’s life could end up costing society nine times more in the longer term. 

Given the clear benefits to children, society and service providers, I‘m therefore publishing this research today to help inform the hard choices which national and local decision makers will have to take in this crucial area in the years ahead.

Michael Russell Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning

This study has been published on the Scottish Government website and is available here.