Dawn Bowden MS, Minister for Children and Social Care
Support for children and families is a key priority for the Welsh Government, so I am pleased to provide an update on progress with the Baby Bundles programme. Offering a Baby Bundle to families across Wales 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. Health practitioners will also be able to offer a Baby Bundle to a limited number of families who need more support but do not reside in Flying Start areas, through Outreach support.
A Baby Bundle will include items such as a warm blanket and clothing, as well as helpful information on where to turn to for further help and support. Providing a Baby Bundle will remove some of the financial pressure families face in some of 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 the tender specification for the Baby Bundle programme will go live later this week. The procurement will run until mid-May 2025 following which Officials will assess the bids with the contract awarded by end of June.
Over the coming months, Officials will continue to work with midwives and other health professionals to finalise the registration process for receiving a Baby Bundle.
Subject to a successful procurement exercise, our aim is that families will be able to register for a Baby Bundle from the end of November.
As a key Welsh Benefit, it will be important that families are made aware of it through our wider work to support benefit awareness and take up and implement our Welsh Benefits Charter.
I look forward to providing a further update on the programme’s development in due course.