John Swinney has described eradicating child poverty as “a truly national mission” as the Scottish Government expands support for struggling families into more areas across the country.
Speaking to more than 500 frontline workers, charity leaders and public service teams at a major summit in Glasgow, the First Minister said tackling child poverty was not only his top priority, but “our moral imperative.”
Five new areas, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh, South Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire and West Lothian will now be part of the Fairer Futures Partnership programme.
The initiative brings together services like childcare, housing, health, education, and employment under one roof to make it easier for families to get the support they need, when they need it.
The model has already been tested in Dundee, Glasgow and Clackmannanshire, and expanded to eight further areas last year including Inverclyde, East Ayrshire and Perth & Kinross.
It’s now being scaled up again, with £4 million in new funding to support councils and partners to redesign services around families, not bureaucracy.
“Far too many children are still growing up hungry, cold, or shut out from the opportunities they deserve,” Mr Swinney told delegates.
“In a country as wealthy as Scotland, that is unacceptable.”
“The whole family support model is about turning that around, about removing the complexity, ending the duplication, and making sure families get help that works.”
The First Minister highlighted the role of “dignified and generous” support, such as the Scottish Child Payment, in lifting tens of thousands of children out of poverty.
But he warned that Westminster policies including the two-child benefit cap are still pushing families into hardship, and urged the UK Government to scrap it.
Alongside the new partnerships, the Government is offering £1.12 million in “Adopt and Adapt” funding to help other local authorities learn from the approach and embed it in their own communities.
Katie Cuthbertson, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, called the model “innovation with impact.”
“By working together across sectors and listening to what families need, we’re seeing systems change in real time,” she said.
The summit also gave frontline staff a platform to share what’s working, what’s not, and where national policy can better support local delivery.
Mr Swinney said that spirit of collaboration must now spread nationwide.
“This isn’t just a government initiative, it’s a national effort,” he said.
“And there is no greater investment we can make in our country’s future than making sure every child has the chance to thrive.”
