Kirsty through the years

0 IN THE BEGINNING

Holyrood introduces our new arrival, a baby born into one of Scotland’s most

deprived communities.

Kirsty is one of 210,000 of Scotland’s children who live in poverty.

The chances are 26 per cent she will have less than good health in the first four years of her life and she is expected to live 8.5 years less than those born into affluent

areas.

6m RELATIONSHIPS

The Holyrood baby is six months

old and developing relationships that will shape her future

into adulthood.

One of the complicating factors in establishing good secure attachment with a baby is stress. As someone whose income is not

likely to be stable, who is more likely to feel insecure in her community and more prone to illness herself, Caley is at a higher risk of

stress than other mums.

1 RISE IN CHILD POVERTY

The Holyrood baby celebrates her first birthday, but have her life

chances improved?

Latest Scottish Government figures show 260,000 children are living in relative poverty in Scotland, up from 230,000 last year.

But Kirsty will be one of the first children to get a health visitor review at 15 months, a service

which began in 2017.

1½ THE CHILD POVERTY BILL

The Holyrood baby is 18 months old. The Child Poverty Bill has won unanimous support, but can it make a difference to

Kirsty, the Holyrood baby?

Then equalities secretary Angela Constance told Holyrood: “If we are successful in meeting our targets, by the time Kirsty is 14 in 2030, only one in ten of her classmates will be living in

poverty.”

2 ‘VULNERABLE TWOS’

The Holyrood baby is two years old. Toddling into an unclear future, can Kirsty reach her development goals in adversity?

Kirsty is one of the 89 per cent of ‘vulnerable twos’ who didn’t take up the free hours of nursery education they are

eligible for.

Kirsty’s mother, Caley, a single mum, didn’t take up the free hours because she didn’t know

she was entitled to them.

3 TALKING TARGETS

Kirsty, the Holyrood baby, is three years old and will be starting nursery this year. She is no longer a baby and fast emerging as a fully

formed infant.

Kirsty’s health visitor has concerns. As well as being less active than expected, Kirsty is not very talkative.

By this point, she would normally be expected to be

telling stories.

3½ TWO-CHILD LIMIT

Kirsty, the Holyrood baby, is three and a half years old. The number of children such as Kirsty living in relative poverty is set to rise, largely because of the impact of the twochild limit on support for families.

But the good news for Caley and Kirsty and all eligible families with children under the age of six is that they will receive the new Scottish Child Payment even earlier than originally promised, with the first benefits due to be made by the end of this year.

4 KIRSTY IN LOCKDOWN

As she reaches her fourth birthday, like children everywhere in Scotland, the Holyrood baby is confined to the house with her mum.

Scottish charity Aberlour has found that 90 per cent of the applications to its Coronavirus Urgent Assistance Fund are from single parent households like Kirsty’s.

Without access to a garden, Kirsty’s obesity risk (already twice as high as more affluent children)

may increase.