Nutritional guidelines for residential care settings for young people

The Scottish Government will soon publish nutritional guidelines for children and young people living in residential settings in Scotland. The guidelines have been produced by a group of experts drawn from all over Scotland, and the group has been chaired by the Scottish Government.
Poor diet has long been recognised as a significant contributor to poor health in Scotland and in childhood it can play an essential role in growth and development, wellbeing, and educational performance (Department of Health, 2002). Children and young people who are looked after away from home are recognised as a particularly vulnerable group with increased health needs, compared with children and young people from similar socio-economic backgrounds (Scottish Executive, 2005).