Investment to help children and families

18 Feb 2026 08:12 PM

Local anti-poverty and cost of living initiatives set for cash boost.

A total of 21 projects that pilot approaches to help to eradicate child poverty and boost incomes will be backed by almost £1.9 million across Scotland.  

Through the Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund, 19 regions will benefit from new projects designed to support communities with the cost of living.  

This includes:   

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:   

“Eradicating child poverty, supporting families and giving children the best start in life are the guiding principles of this government. That’s why we are investing in local anti-poverty measures across the country, helping to improve services that are in the heart of communities.   

“Our efforts are already having a good impact on household finances, be that through free prescriptions, free bus travel for under-22s or the removal of peak rail fares. The Scottish Child Payment is also playing a key role in ensuring Scotland is the only part of the UK to see relative child poverty rates fall last year.  

“Our draft Scottish Budget 2026-27 goes a step further, making landmark interventions in our attempts to tackle the root causes of child poverty, while supporting the newest Mums and Dads with a premium payment for those eligible with children under one during 2027-2028, and guaranteeing the strongest package of financial support in the UK, putting more money in people’s pockets.”  

Background  

The following schools in Perth and Kinross have been chosen for the project based on data, held by the local authority, which suggests low benefit take up by eligible parents:  

Energy bill discount vouchers worth £28 will be offered to around 700 families on Argyll and Bute’s islands whose children are in receipt of means-tested free school meals. The local authority will contact eligible families and invite them to contact ALIenergy to receive additional support to pay their bills - that will include access to its Affordable Warmth Service, providing additional financial advice to cut energy bills through sustainable heating appliances.    

The hub in Stornoway will support people to develop new skills and boost their incomes. Supported by £100,000 over the next two years, the project will also support families to access the social security support they are entitled to. The local authority will work to identify a suitable existing site at which the hub will open.  

The mobile ‘Dad’s Barber’ in Ayrshire and Arran will help to improve family wellbeing and lift children out of poverty. Backed by almost £100,000 from 2026-2028, Dads will be able to access free haircare and a coffee in a bid to improve engagement with structured support networks. The aim is to foster a trusted relationship to help the parent transition to the support of a wellbeing worker, building confidence and parenting skills while improving children’s outcomes.  

Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund: round 3 funding recipients - gov.scot 

The draft Scottish Budget 2026-2027 includes plans to invest £8 billion through the social justice portfolio to tackle the root causes of child poverty, support vulnerable people and ease the cost of living.  

This is the third year the Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund has supported local projects. It is used to invest in local authorities and health boards to innovate and improve community-based anti-poverty initiatives, and to test their efficacy.    

Through Round Three, running between 2025 and 2028, £1, 885,879 will support 21 projects across 19 local authorities: