Hundreds of Irish parents will receive a FREE €300 gift in WEEKS – are you eligible?

HUNDREDS of Irish parents will receive a FREE €300 baby box in the weeks as a major new government program kicks off.

Around 500 new parents will be using the Little Baby Bundle Box when the program finally launches in February next year.

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Originally planned for the autumn, parents welcoming new arrivals to Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital and University Hospital Waterford will be the first to benefit.

Parents using medical services at these two hospitals can participate by filling out a form after their 20-week scan.

The box, filled with key items for a toddler’s early life, is then delivered at a convenient time and parents have the opportunity to share their views on the box and its contents to best implement a nationwide launch.

The Government said the box – which contains essential items such as muslin, thermometers and baby monitors, as well as a playmat and children’s books in Irish and English – has an estimated value of €300.

It will also include information packs on important health messages such as breastfeeding, safe sleep and postnatal depression.

Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman said: “I am delighted to finalize plans for a pilot of the Little Baby Bundle in collaboration with our partners – Rotunda Hospital, Dublin and University Hospital, Waterford – and to present the contents of the Baby Bundle, from which I hope it will be helpful to new moms and dads celebrating their new arrival.

“The first few weeks of a newborn’s life are very special for families and we want to help new parents by offering them practical support as they navigate those first few weeks and months.

“The Little Baby Bundle is another initiative from this government that demonstrates our commitment to supporting families and giving children the best start in life.

“I look forward to the pilot initiative beginning in February and to hearing the views and experiences of participating families so that we can gather valuable feedback to inform a future wider rollout of the baby packs.”

Inspired by similar successful initiatives in Scotland and Finland, the Government chose the Rotunda and UHW to ensure that a mix of urban and rural families would benefit in the first phase.

In Scotland in 2020, a record 98 per cent of expectant parents requested a baby box.

Minister O’Gorman previously said: “The Little Baby Bundle is about giving each of Ireland’s newest little arrivals a welcome gift, while also offering practical support to parents as they navigate those special first weeks and months in their child’s life.

“It will take some of the financial pressure off the parents and it will also take some of the organizational pressure off the parents by having this suite available to them.

“We have seen the success of similar initiatives in Scotland and Finland and I am therefore pleased to announce these plans to pilot the Little Baby Bundle.

“The Little Baby Bundle is about giving each of Ireland’s newest little arrivals a welcome gift, while also providing parents with practical support as they navigate those special first weeks and months in their child’s life.

“We are doing this from the Rotunda and University Hospital Waterford to get a mix of urban and rural families.

“We will evaluate it next year and then hopefully after that evaluation try to roll it out nationally.”

The contract to launch the baby boxes has been awarded to Field Management Limited and RSM who will manage and independently evaluate the early stages of the programme.