More than 18,000 Baby Boxes have been delivered to families across the NHS Highland area since the scheme was introduced in 2017, according to newly released figures.
In total, 18,019 Baby Boxes have been distributed locally as part of a Scotland wide programme that has now reached almost 370,000 newborns.
Across Scotland, 366,950 Baby Boxes have been delivered to parents since the start of the scheme, which entitles every newborn to a box of essential items designed to support families in the early months of a child’s life.
The Baby Box programme was introduced by the Scottish Government in 2017 and includes items estimated to be worth around £429.
The scheme forms part of a wider package of family support available in Scotland, including the Scottish Child Payment and 1,140 hours of funded childcare for three, four and eligible two year olds.
Commenting on the figures, Eilidh Munro, who hopes to succeed Kate Forbes as MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch in May, said:
“Almost 370,000 babies have received baby boxes from this SNP government, including more than 18,000 in the NHS Highland area.
“It’s a truly worthwhile achievement from a government committed to giving every child the best start in life.
“Providing essential items needed for the first six months of their child’s life is a particularly important gift to new parents when household budgets are under continued pressure due to rising bills under the UK Government.
“We were very thankful to receive a Baby Box for our second child, and it made such a difference to those first few challenging, but rewarding, months of parenthood.
“The Baby Box, inspired by a long running successful scheme in Finland, helps set new parents up for success, and may soon be rolled out by the new administration in New York as well.
“The Baby Box is one of many transformative actions the SNP is taking to make a real difference to children and families only available in Scotland, like the Scottish Child Payment and rollout of free school meals for primary school children.
“But while the SNP government continues to deliver bold policies in government for a fairer Scotland, with the limited powers of devolution, Westminster is pushing more people into poverty.
“Our efforts to tackle child poverty are working, with Scotland’s child poverty rates falling, unlike the other nations in the UK.
“But Westminster’s policy decisions are continuing to have an adverse effect, and we want to do more here in Scotland than the devolution settlement allows, we need the full powers of an independent country to be able to do everything possible to eradicate child poverty for good here.
“The SNP are on Scotland’s side and will always prioritise supporting people across the country to thrive.”
