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