Dawn Bowden MS, Minister for Children and Social Care
I am pleased to provide an update on progress with the Baby Bundles programme, which remains a priority for the Welsh Government and is a Programme for Government commitment.
We have made £2.5m available for the Baby Bundles programme in 2025-26. The programme will provide a Baby Bundle on a targeted basis, to every expectant family living within a core Flying Start area. Midwives will also be able to offer a Baby Bundle, through outreach, to a limited number of families who need additional support but do not reside in these Flying Start areas.
A Baby Bundle will include items such as a warm blanket and clothing, as well as useful information about further help and support. Providing a Baby Bundle will remove some of the financial pressure families face in the most deprived areas of Wales and help deliver against our Child Poverty Strategy commitment to reduce costs and maximise the income of families.
I am pleased to confirm that we have awarded the contract for the Baby Bundles Supplier to Allied Publicity Services, who already have experience of delivering a similar scheme in Scotland. The Baby Bundles Supplier will be responsible for much of the programme delivery, including supplying the items for the Baby Bundles and getting them to families across Wales.
Midwives also have a critical role to play in the delivery of this programme and I am grateful for their support. We expect midwives to begin awareness raising with eligible families from the end of September this year, with families being able to register for a Baby Bundle from the end of November.
I look forward to providing a further update on the programme’s development in due course.