In Scotland the baby box is offered to all expectant mothers through their midwife.

The scheme has been incredibly popular with parents. It is not means tested but is seen as a gift to every child born in Scotland.

Each box contains a range of products that are needed with the birth of each child: as well as clothing there are also other items parents find useful and a range of information.

The sturdy and attractive cardboard box can be used as a safe sleeping space for young babies although a majority of parents who took part in the survey for the evaluation of the scheme did not use the box itself for their baby to sleep in.

The evaluation of the scheme was carried out by Ipsos MORI Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government between June 2019 and Autumn 2020. 

Parents surveyed for this evaluation were very positive about the quality of the box and its contents – 97% rated it as ‘very’ or ‘fairly good’

Baby Box Evaluation

One Parent Families Scotland CEO Satwat Rehman said:   

“The fact that all babies in Scotland are gifted a box full of essential items means that as a society we want every child, regardless of their circumstances, to get the best start in life. We fully support this positive public health initiative that has the potential, through its universal approach, to make a contribution to the reduction of inequalities at the start of a baby’s life.

“Parents have told us that receiving the box made them feel the Government ‘cares about families’.”