SNP ministers 'must stop poorest children being overlooked'
Dr Steffi Keir, policy and impact adviser at Save the Children, warned the Scottish Government 'need to go further' or risk holding back children entrenched in poverty.
Child development statistics published earlier this year chart the process of an individual growing from infancy to adulthood, is marked by a series of health assessments offered to all children at 13 to 15 months, 27 to 30 months and four to five years.
The Public Health Scotland data showed the biggest gap in development is at the 27 to 30 months check-up, where 16% more children from the poorest areas are flagged compared to their more affluent peers.
The smallest gap is at the 13 to 15-month check up, where it lies at just 5%.
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However, that still marks a disparity in terms of socio-economic backgrounds.
Dr Keir told The Herald: 'Every child has a right to a loving, nurturing childhood that fulfils their potential.
'It's heartbreaking that some of the very youngest members of our society are being overlooked and left behind.
'Although child poverty is falling in Scotland, poverty is rising among families with babies and the early childhood development figures have been stagnant and have shown persistent inequalities for a decade.
'A child's environment and experiences in their earliest years forms the foundation for the rest of their life.
'Without support in early childhood gaps that exist can further widen as children get older, with a significant impact on their future attainment, as well as their future employment, education, physical and mental health and social outcomes.
'We cannot allow this gap to persist for another decade.'
While the charity has praised the [[Scottish Government]]'s policy successes – including the Baby Box, Best Start Grants, and the Scottish Child Payment, Dr Keir has urged First Minister John Swinney to 'go further'.
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Save the Children was among the 23 charities to back The Herald's child poverty campaign, which called on the Scottish Government to increase the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week.
The campaign also urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the UK Government to abolish the two-child benefit cap.
In 2021, then former first minister Nicola Sturgeon made The Promise pledge – to ensure all children and young people grow up loved, safe and respected.
Dr Keir added: 'We need additional meaningful action on child poverty to tackle these entrenched inequalities, alongside targeted interventions that provide early help for families with the youngest children.
'This includes increasing the Scottish Child Payment to at least £40 in the lifetime in improved health, educational and employable outcomes – and lead to a more equal and prosperous Scotland for all.
'We will all reap the rewards of working towards a Scotland where no childhood is limited by poverty.'
The Scottish Government has committed to reducing developmental concern at 27 to 30 months by a quarter by 2030.
Ministers have said they have a 'particular focus' on addressing the gap between the most and the least deprived.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "We are absolutely committed to tackling child poverty and our policies are making a meaningful difference to families. The poorest 10% of households are estimated to be £2,600 a year better off in 2025-26 and this value is projected to grow to an average of £3,700 a year by 2029-30.
"Our policies are having to work harder in the current economic context because of decisions taken by the UK Government, like keeping the two-child limit on Universal Credit.
"That's why we are developing the systems required to effectively scrap the impact of the two-child cap.
"The Scottish Fiscal Commission estimates that 43,000 children will benefit in 2026-27, and our modelling estimates that mitigating the two-child limit will result in 20,000 fewer children living in relative poverty.
"Policies such as the Scottish Child Payment, which we estimate will keep 40,000 children out of relative poverty in 2025-26, and the Baby Box, which has already helped at least 349,000 children have the best start in life, will continue to be central to our efforts."
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