Nicola Sturgeon has pledged her Government will give "full consideration" to Labour proposals for special assessments to be carried out to help youngsters whose parents are jailed.
Earlier this week, SNP MSPs on Holyrood's Justice Committee rejected the call for child and family impact assessments to be carried out.
Despite that, Labour MSP Mary Fee's amendment was passed by the committee, and forms part of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill going through the Scottish Parliament.
But Labour leader Kezia Dugdale voiced concerns that the SNP could use its majority to remove this at a later stage, as she urged the First Minister to "do the right thing" and instruct her MSPs to back it.
Ms Dugdale raised the issue at Holyrood, saying: "I don't think the plight of these children has ever been raised at First Minister's questions before.
"On Tuesday, something very unusual happened in this Parliament - the SNP lost a vote."
Ms Dugdale said more than 20,000 children in Scotland each year have to deal with a parent going to prison, as she pointed out the amendment to introduce child and family impact assessments had been passed "against the will of the First Minister's MSPs".
The SNP leader could "use the full force of her majority to remove that amendment, that progress" when the Bill comes before Holyrood again, Ms Dugdale said.
She then urged the First Minister to "respect the committee and promise not to do that".
Ms Sturgeon told her: "I can certainly assure parliament we will give full consideration to the amendment that was passed and we will consider whether or not that amendment best meets our objectives to help the children of those sent to prison."
But Ms Dugdale claimed by not supporting the amendment now, the First Minister was "resisting helping children affected by a parent in prison".
The Labour leader went on to highlight the growing number of children who are homeless and in temporary accommodation, saying 4,555 youngsters "live in temporary accommodation without a home of their own, that's up by 402 children in the last year alone".
Ms Dugdale said: "After eight years in government the First Minister is presiding over a rise in the number of children sleeping in temporary accommodation, she is resisting helping children affected by a parent in prison.
"We cannot wait any longer to act."
She said if Ms Sturgeon is "really serious" about tackling the attainment gap that exists, she must "commit today to producing an action plan for Scotland's most vulnerable children".
The SNP leader insisted: "Everything my Government does will be intended to help the most vulnerable in our society, particularly the most vulnerable children."
She then told Ms Dugdale: "This is something we should seek to agree on, not something to divide on."
Ms Sturgeon said the SNP had not backed the introduction of child and family impact assessments for youngsters whose parents are jailed because work by former lord advocate Dame Elish Angiolini had found the current system of social work assessments was "right and adequate".
But after the committee vote, Ms Sturgeon said she and Justice Secretary Michael Matheson would look again at the issue.
The First Minister said: "We have work that has been done, that the Government has based its position on. A parliamentary committee has taken a different position, and it is incumbent on me as First Minister and it is incumbent on the Justice Secretary to consider all of that carefully before we come to a conclusion, because it is so important we give the right support to children in these circumstances.
"Before we get to the next stage of the passage of this legislation we will consider our position.
"And either we will come to Parliament and accept the amendment that has been passed, or we will come to Parliament and give careful reasons why we consider it would not be the right thing for that amendment to stand.
"That's the responsible and rational way for any government to proceed in the wake of such a vote."
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