Seven community-based projects across Scotland will receive a total of £5.8 million in funding to strengthen whole family support and help tackle child poverty. The funding aims to expand services that support families, enhance early child development, and scale up initiatives designed to reduce poverty at the community level.
The funding announcement was made by First Minister John Swinney during a speech in Kilmarnock, where he emphasized the importance of stronger collaboration between charities, government, and local partners. He highlighted the need to simplify access to support services so that families can more easily receive the help they need.
This investment forms part of the £50 million Whole Family Wellbeing Funding allocation for 2026–27 and builds on the Scottish Government’s broader commitment to the initiative, which has already received £148 million since 2022. The funding is intended to help create more coordinated and responsive support systems that address the needs of families in a flexible and timely way.
The initiative also supports Scotland’s wider strategy to reduce child poverty, with the government preparing to publish a new Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan outlining further actions. The plan will focus on improving collaboration with charities and community organizations to ensure that services work together effectively to support children and families.
One of the funded initiatives is the Dundee Pathfinder Fairer Futures Partnership, which focuses on supporting families experiencing poverty through coordinated local action. Since October 2022, the partnership has helped bring more than £2.4 million into households, assisting many individuals in moving into employment and training while improving overall family wellbeing.
