WIREDGOV

Expanding access to “national front door” to family support.

A charity support line providing a one-step gateway to cost of living and whole family support will be expanded by Scottish Government funding to help up to 7,500 families.

Children First’s service offers practical, emotional and financial help and advice to families across Scotland 365 days a year by phone, webchat, text, email, video and face to face. Scottish Government investment will allow the charity to more than double the support it provides, including:

• immediate cash grants and practical tips on budgeting and debt management
• emotional support to help families manage stress and anxiety
• practical advice to navigate public services, helping to access things like childcare and housing
• connections for families to specialised support to help people get into and stay in work.

A total of £2 million from the Scottish Government in 2026-27 will equip the charity to bolster its offer across the country as a key part of work under the child poverty delivery plan “Bringing Hope, Building Futures”.

Visiting the charity in Glasgow, First Minister John Swinney said:

“During the cost of living crisis, there are families struggling to make ends meet and accessing help can often be overwhelming.

“We want to provide a better future for every parent and every child, and to do that we need to make support as simple, accessible and effective as possible.  

“That’s why we are pleased to be supporting Children First to develop a national front door for support, so that help is in the right place, at the right time.  Organisations like Children First play such an important role and I am pleased that we are supporting them to double the support they provide to families across Scotland.”

In 2025-26, the Children First support line has supported over 5,000 families nationally. This investment will enable the charity to expand staffing, enhance specialist expertise and increase Money Advice capacity, including helping people with their energy bills, ensuring more families can easily access support which is sustained for as long as they need it.

Linda Jardine, Director of Children and Family Services, Children First said:

“This funding is fantastic news for Scotland’s children and families, who often tell us that they don’t know where to turn for support.  Parents and carers, who are often stressed and exhausted trying to find the right help when they need it, will welcome this with open arms.

“By connecting families to joined-up practical, emotional and financial help through our support line, we will reduce the impact of poverty, strengthen families and make sure thousands more of Scotland’s children enjoy the safe and secure childhood, which is every child’s right.

“Children First’s support line is open seven days a week, 365 days a year. If your family is in need of help, our friendly and understanding support line team are here to help. Call us on 08000 28 22 33 or start a webchat at childrenfirst.org.uk/supportline.”

Jasmine, a young Mum who has been supported by Children First said:

“Things are so expensive nowadays and with my baby I was feeling the pressure before I met Children First. I also felt quite lonely and alienated because I didn’t know other young people who had babies. It wasn’t good for my mental health.

“The help from Children First has been outstanding. The emotional and financial help they’ve given has had a positive impact on us – I can get fresh fruit and vegetables for the baby and I feel less isolated because I’ve met other young mums. Without the support from Children First, I don’t think our lives would be anywhere near as good.”

Background

Children First support line

There is no need for referrals as families can reach out directly whenever they need support. The service is designed to provide immediate help at the point of contact, with follow-up support offered where necessary to ensure issues are resolved and families feel supported over time.

The funding comes from the Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Fund and the intention is for funding to continue on an annual basis.

Bringing Hope, Building Futures: Tackling child poverty delivery plan 2026-2031 – gov.scot

The expansion of the Children First support line is one element of the Scottish Government's work with partners to change the way support is offered to families, so that services are more preventative, holistic and people-centred. Other key initiatives include the Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund, announcements on which are expected over the summer, and an integrated Whole Family Support programme that will be delivered with local partners from April 2027 to enable public services to provide more community-based, holistic family support that better meets the needs of communities.