Reducing child poverty must be put at the heart of John Swinney’s new Government if he wants to keep his pre-election promises, a charity has warned.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said “radical action” was needed to drive down the number of children facing poverty.
It said the issue must be central to all cabinet and Government priorities.
Ahead of the election, the SNP manifesto promised that the party’s “defining mission” in government would be to “eradicate child poverty”.
Under Scotland’s legally binding targets, relative child poverty rates must be cut to less than 10% by 2030-31, which means lifting 100,000 children out of poverty.
However, the JRF said there was currently “no credible plan” to meet the targets. Addressing this must be one of the Government’s first priorities as it begins the new term, it added.
The charity said its analysis of all the main party manifestos before the election found they all fell “well short” of the action needed to meet the targets.
It said key actions are needed on the economy, labour market, housing, council funding, childcare and social security.
The JRF said these included making childcare available and affordable for low-income households, “rebuilding” Scotland’s economy with a focus on areas that are struggling, and ensuring that key public services are there for people “when life trips them up”.
“Political bravery, deep collaboration with councils and local communities, and bold conversations about how public services are paid for will be needed,” it said.
The charity warned that unless the new Scottish Government shows urgency and matches the public’s “thirst for change”, it will fail to meet the legal requirements of the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act.
As he appoints his cabinet this week, the First Minister must put the eradication of child poverty at the heart of his government.
Chris Birt, associate director for Scotland at the JRF, said: “One of the stories of the election was a sense that what was on offer was underwhelming, contributing to a general feeling of political disaffection.
“The campaign was often focused on political posturing rather than on what should be at the core of politics – making people’s lives better.
“As he appoints his cabinet this week, the First Minister must put the eradication of child poverty at the heart of his Government.
“This would not only lead to a dramatic improvement in the lives of children across Scotland, but would also be transformational for our economy and public services.
“To achieve that, ministers will need to show urgency and match the public’s thirst for change.
“This is a huge test of the Scottish Government and the new Parliament. Can they deliver a genuinely fairer Scotland where every child has the chance to flourish?
“The election campaign is now in the past – it is time for this Parliament to consign the hardships that so many children and their families face to the past too.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “Tackling child poverty is critically important to the Scottish Government and our policies are estimated to keep around 100,000 children out of relative poverty this year.
“More than £111 million is being committed to updated plans in 2026-27 and we are also laying the foundations to raise the Scottish Child Payment to £40 a week per child under one in 2027-28, helping parents at this critical stage of their child’s life, with 12,000 expected to benefit.
“Previously announced action includes a new £20 million fund for charities to streamline support and link up services so that people get help where they need it, when they need it, committing a further £21 million to upskill parents to boost their incomes through work, and the expansion of breakfast clubs so that all primary school children are able to access a free breakfast club by August 2027, while free school meals are being expanded to a further 5,500 pupils in 2026-27.”