SPICe FAQs – Baby Boxes

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Background

Mainstream interest in baby boxes was initially sparked by a 2013 BBC News article on the scheme that has been in place in Finland since the 1930s. The article claimed the scheme was a contributor to Finland having one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world – although this has never been formally evaluated or verified by research.

The Scottish National Party included the roll out of such a scheme in its 2016 election manifesto and following the 2016 election the scheme began in Scotland in August 2017. The Scottish Government believes that providing every child in Scotland with a free baby 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.”

Common Questions

 

Who decided what would go into the baby boxes?

The Scottish Government agreed the contents for the pilot and the main rollout following discussions with health professionals including midwifes, third sector stakeholders and the baby box Managing Agent, APS Group (Scotland).

When developing the scheme the Scottish Government commissioned a number of research projects to gather the views of parents. The initial study was focused on the concept of a baby box and aimed to ensure that the contents of the box would be useful to parents. This research informed the design and contents of the baby box for the initial pilot in Orkney and Clackmannanshire.

The second study was conducted on the baby box pilot to inform the future delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the baby box. The report was published in May 2017.

What does it contain?

The baby box is intended to help families prepare for the arrival of their baby. It can also be used as a place for the baby to sleep as it includes a mattress and bedding. You can see the full contents of the box on the Parent Club website, it contains things like:

  • clothes, from new born up to 6 months
  • a digital ear thermometer
  • a bath towel
  • a changing mat
  • books

How do you get a baby box?

Pregnant women can register for the box via their midwife during their ante-natal appointments around the 20th week of pregnancy. The box is then sent about 4-6 weeks before the baby’s due date.

Further details on how to register for a baby box are on the Parent Club website.

 

Are refugees and asylum seekers eligible to receive the baby box

The Scottish Government advice page on baby boxes says that “the Scottish Government provides a free baby box to every new baby that is born and living in Scotland.”

The Migration Scotland website confirms that:

“All babies will be eligible to receive the box, regardless of their or their parents’ nationality and immigration status.  As the box can only be applied for through a midwife, only women engaged with health services will be able to receive it.”

 

Is there a list of suppliers for the contents of the baby boxes?

APS are the current baby box managing agent. They were awarded the contract in 2018 for printing, filling and distributing the boxes between the 1 April 2019 and 31 July 2021.

The suppliers who were successful in winning awards for the supply of the contents for Baby Box 2 (launched in March 2019) are:
• British Baby Box
• MIP UK Limited
• Orb Group International KMS
• Totsbots
• Pasante
• Toiletries Sales Limited

The next procurement exercise for boxes and contents will be carried out through PCS in 2020.

 

How many baby boxes have been distributed each year?

The Scottish Government say that uptake is estimated to be around 96% of expectant parents.

Details of the numbers of baby boxes distributed are recorded by individual health boards, therefore statistics are not available by constituency.

Below is a yearly breakdown of the number of boxes delivered since the beginning of the scheme.

Health board
2017 boxes delivered
2018 boxes delivered
2019 boxes delivered

 

Total
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
1350
2881
2936
4231
NHS Borders
428
919
843
2190
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
524
1149
1118
2791
NHS Fife
1380
3172
3013
7565
NHS Forth Valley
1132
2542
2463
6137
NHS Grampian
2493
5577
5159
13229
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
5621
12180
11590
29391
NHS Highland
1028
2428
2319
5775
NHS Lanarkshire
2378
5489
5407
13274
NHS Lothian
3834
8646
8060
20540
NHS Orkney
88
171
175
434
NHS Shetland
74
211
208
493
NHS Tayside
1587
3474
3453
8514
NHS Western Isles
84
183
182
449
Total
22001
49022
46926
115013

 

How many nappy vouchers have been used?

Since 1 April 2019 the baby box has included a voucher for a reusable nappy kit, supplied by TotsBots. Uptake figures by health board are shown in the table below:

Health board
Applications for a reusable nappy kit
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
220
NHS Borders
108
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
122
NHS Fife
293
NHS Forth Valley
253
NHS Grampian
723
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
1141
NHS Highland
297
NHS Lanarkshire
331
NHS Lothian
1200
NHS Orkney
24
NHS Shetland
45
NHS Tayside
392
NHS Western Isles
22
Total
5171

 

How much does it cost to provide each baby box?

Figures released by Scottish Government in May 2019 in response to a question from the Welsh Government  listed the cost per annum for the scheme at £8.8 million and the cost per box, including delivery and other logistics at approximately £160. Details on spends up to March 2019 are  provided in response to Parliamentary Question S5W-22878.

 

What has the response been to the scheme?

After the first year of the scheme the Scottish Government commissioned a telephone survey with a sample of parents who have received the baby box since full roll out to gather their views on the contents of the box. The research found that feedback was extremely positive, with high levels of use of all items included in the box and positive ratings in relation to their usefulness. Satisfaction levels were extremely high in relation to the quality, presentation and range of contents.

At the end of 2019 the Scottish Government reported that parents’ views of the contents of the box continue to be extremely positive.

The Scottish Government has commissioned an independent evaluation of the baby box scheme – the survey is currently being carried out and the final report is due to be published in Summer 2020.

Kathryn Appleby-Donald

Collections Manager, SPICe

Image:

“Winning Baby Box design” by Scottish Government is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0