The Scottish Government does not hold this information specifically, but information on the amount spent and affordability of childcare by age of child was collected as part of the Parent Survey: Supporting documents - Early learning and childcare - parents' views and use: survey findings 2022 - gov.scot published by the Scottish Government on 20 December 2022.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41191 on 7 November 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority of eradicating child poverty and tackling inequality.

Youth work falls within the scope of Community Learning and Development (CLD). The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013, in effect, requires local authorities to identify need and plan provision of CLD. In line with the Verity House Agreement, local authorities have the autonomy to deliver services that meet the needs of young people in their areas. However, the Scottish Government published strategic Guidance to Local authorities to support them to develop their CLD plans in 2024 which can be accessed at: Supporting documents - Community learning and development: guidance for 2024 to 2027 - gov.scot.

An independent review of CLD was commissioned in December 2023. The Scottish Government welcomed the Learning: For All. For Life. report published in July 2024, which made 20 recommendations varying in complexity and scope. The report can be accessed at: Supporting documents - Learning: For All. For Life. A report from the Independent Review of Community Learning and Development (CLD) - gov.scot.

The Scottish Government and COSLA accepted recommendation 1.1 to set up a joint CLD Strategic Leadership Group. The group has a broad range of members representing multiple sectors with an interest in youth work as part of CLD. A list of members can be found here: Community Learning and Development Strategic Leadership Group - gov.scot. The SLG have convened on four occasions and are considering the remaining recommendations of the report.

The Fostering_and_adoption_statistical_bulletin_2024-2025.pdf were published on 28 October 2025.

At 31 December 2024, there were 133 children and young people who had been approved for adoption across 23 local authority services and were waiting to be matched with approved adopters.

Of the children waiting to be matched in 2024, 36 (27%) had been waiting for over one year, down from 47 (36%) the previous year.

I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

From January 2022 to September 2025, there have been four permanent vacancies at Disclosure Scotland that were unfilled for more than six months (from when advert went live to start date). We cannot access data for the period May 2021 to December 2021 as the iCIMS system that stored this data has been discontinued.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41186 on 7 November 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable and high quality support provided to young people by youth workers.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with Community Learning and Development (CLD) Managers Scotland, Youth Scotland and YouthLink Scotland in connection with the grant funding provided to each organisation. These organisations represent large parts of the CLD youth work sector, and the meetings provide a valuable opportunity for the Scottish Government to receive feedback on youth work.

As part of the independent review of CLD, Kate Still engaged and consulted with a broad range of CLD stakeholders, including youth workers as well as learners accessing youth work. Findings from this engagement are reflected in the Learning: For All. For Life. report which can be found here: Learning: For All. For Life. A report from the Independent Review of CLD.

In addition, HM Inspectors of Education review and report on the quality of CLD provision across Scotland and evaluate the progress that local authorities and their CLD partners are making to improve the quality of provision and services in their areas. Individual reports can be found here: CLD Inspection Reports.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for local authorities. The member may wish to contact local authorities directly for this information.

As the member may be aware, while the Scottish Government does not collect national statistical data on this matter, in June 2025 Nature Scot, Learning Through Landscapes and Play Scotland have published “School Grounds in Scotland in 2025 Key Points and Reflections from a ‘State of the Nation’ Report”, based on a sample survey of 1,000 schools. While the report contained a number of positive conclusions on progress made since a similar report in 2005, it also contained a number of areas for improvement.

The Scottish Government’s Learning for sustainability: action plan 2023 to 2030 - gov.scot contains a range of actions aimed at improving the way that schools buildings, grounds and policies support Learning for Sustainability, including outdoor learning. Additionally, the Learning Estate Strategy – which was co-produced by the Scottish Government and COSLA – includes a guiding principle that makes clear that outdoor learning and the use of outdoor learning environments should be maximised.

The Scottish Government is currently working with a range of national partners to deliver the actions within the LfS Action Plan, to implement the Learning Estate Strategy and, through the work of the Scottish Outdoor Learning Strategic Working Group, to agree further actions to support and promote outdoor learning.

I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

Since 2022, seven permanent Disclosure Scotland employees have left their job within their first year of employment.