Registration for Baby Box will begin in June

The Box is a strong signal of the Scottish Government’s determination that every child, regardless of their circumstances, should get the best start in life. It will include different essential items for a child’s first weeks and months to support parents.

Expectant mothers will register to receive their baby’s box at an existing midwife appointment after 15 June. Delivery will then begin on 15 August with the Baby Box sent directly to a home or other preferred address.

Mark McDonald, minister for Childcare and Early Years, said: “I’m delighted to announce that all babies due in Scotland on or after August 15 2017 will receive a Baby Box as part of the national roll-out.

“Scotland’s Baby Box will help tackle deprivation, improve health and support parents, and we’re proud to introduce it in Scotland.

“It will include materials to promote the best possible outcomes for children and the Box itself will also provide a safe space for babies to sleep near their parents, to promote bonding and early attachment.

“As the scheme formally begins our delivery partners will work hard to deliver as many Boxes as quickly as possible to ensure new parents can start to use them straight away.

“And from January 2018, all Baby Boxes will be delivered at least 4 weeks before the baby’s due date.”

Shelagh Young, Home-Start UK’s Scotland director said: “Welcoming every newborn child with a Baby Box full of useful items sends a really positive message to parents.

Parenthood doesn’t come easily to all of us and we all need some extra help at times. Many families, including those supported by Home-Start, will really appreciate both the value of the box and the signal it sends that every child matters in Scotland.

Gillian Morton, head of Midwifery at NHS Forth Valley, said: “We were delighted that Clackmannanshire was selected as one of the first areas in the country to distribute the new baby boxes.

“The response from local families has been fantastic with many commenting on how useful the items have been during those important early weeks and months. The new design of the box has also been well received and I’m sure it will be extremely popular when the scheme is rolled out to the rest of the country.”