The Cabinet approved the ‘Together with Mother and Baby’ scheme on Thursday. A key part of the plan is a home visit by a social worker to identify difficulties and provide guidance and support, Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Tina Pavlou said after the Cabinet meeting.
The scheme is aimed at eligible families receiving the Guaranteed Minimum Income, as well as families with a gross household income of up to €22,000, subject to specific criteria.
Pavlou described the scheme as one of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare’s ‘flagship initiatives’ for 2026, saying it would strengthen the support provided by the welfare state.
Baby items worth €1,000 for eligible families
According to an announcement by the Deputy Ministry, the scheme aims to support and empower new parents, with particular emphasis on the mother, during the child’s first year of life. Eligible families will also receive a free package of baby equipment and basic care items worth €1,000 per child.
The Deputy Minister said that a similar practice is followed in other European countries. ‘We are moving from the simple provision of material assistance to a comprehensive approach to supporting and empowering the family,’ she said.
She explained that the home visit by a social worker would aim to identify difficulties and provide guidance and information. Where a mother needs support, she could be connected with other services.
Boosting support
‘The scheme is coming to complement a network of support around the mother, the child and the family, with the aim of empowering them,’ Pavlou said. She added that, following the ‘Midwife at Home’ service implemented by the Ministry of Health, the scheme would expand services and add a social dimension to them.
Families that meet the criteria will also be able to receive the baby-equipment package, which, according to the Deputy Minister, will support families and new parents. She said the scheme covers families receiving the Guaranteed Minimum Income and families receiving child benefit with gross incomes of up to €22,000. It is expected to support 1,000 new families, at an annual cost of €1.5 million.
‘What I want to stress today is that the scheme is not simply a package of baby items. It is a different approach to social policy. We are seeking to strengthen prevention, early intervention and the tailoring of services, so that we can stand alongside every mother, every child and every family in the first steps of their lives. And that is what social policy with the family at its centre means,’ Pavlou said.
Asked when the scheme would begin, the Deputy Minister said it would start on 1 January 2027. She added that a tender process to appoint a provider would begin immediately, and that the aim was for the scheme to be operational in the first quarter of 2027.
Source: CNA
