20 years of GIRFEC
A page dedicated to highlighting the work of GIRFEC over the past 20 years.
2026 marks an important milestone as we celebrate 20 years of Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC), Scotland’s national approach to ensuring children, young people and their families receive the right support, at the right time, from the right people.
We will be sharing stories, resources and case studies from organisations across Scotland that are bringing GIRFEC to life every day. We will celebrate how organisations put children and young people at the centre of what they do and demonstrate the many ways GIRFEC continues to make a difference across Scotland.
This page will continue to grow over the coming weeks and months as we add new content, spotlight inspiring practice and celebrate the people and organisations making GIRFEC a reality.
GIRFEC must become a reality for every child in Scotland
It’s 20 years since GIRFEC was created. You can read ALLIANCE Chief Officer Sara Redmond’s piece on the policy, its growth and what needs to happen now in Third Force News (TFN) magazine’s March edition
Scottish Government’s Engagement
As part of the Scottish Governments engagement activity around the 20th anniversary of GIRFEC, they have collected submissions from partners across local authorities and Health Boards for stories of impact which highlight effective GIRFEC implementation in both the context of supporting an individual child or family and in the context of local policies and programmes to meet the needs of groups of children, young people and families.
We are pleased to now share with you the first two stories of impact, alongside a message from the Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise. These stories of impact have been collated into the format of a flipbook, please use this link to read more.
Celebrating Achievement: Darren’s Duke of Edinburgh journey
As part of our 20 year celebrations, we are highlighting real-life stories from across Scotland that demonstrate what GIRFEC can look like in practice. Through PAMIS, we were introduced to Darren and his mum and carer, Moira, who shared the story of his Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) journey with us. Darren’s experience is a powerful example of what can happen when children and young people are included and supported to achieve in ways that work for them. Please use this link to read more.