Child Protection Scotland’s new cost of living campaign encourages any parent or carer who is struggling to look after their children, to ask for help before reaching crisis point.

The “It’s Okay To Ask” digital campaign is aimed specifically at parents and carers, and was co-designed with ideas and input from 2 Scottish family support organisations: the Stepping Stones project in north Edinburgh, and national charity Dads Rock.

In line with feedback received from the families who took part in Child Protection Scotland’s focus groups, the campaign consists of 3 short animated adverts, which will run on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram Reels and YouTube; they will also be available on the Child Protection Scotland website and YouTube channel.

Speaking about the campaign and the effects of the cost of living crisis on families and children, Child Protection Scotland Chair, Tam Baillie, hopes the campaign will encourage parents to be brave and ask for help if they are struggling. He said:

“Lack of money can have really serious consequences and take a big toll on family life. Constant money worries can cause huge levels of stress and anxiety and even lead to some parents finding it hard to look after their children as well as they’d like to.

“It can be difficult and embarrassing to ask for help, but there is support out there, so it’s very important for your children, and for yourself, to ask for help if you need it. It’s a lot better to get help than to let things get really, really bad. Every council has an emergency fund to help families, and there are lots of local community groups who can provide advice and guidance.”

Further information for parents, carers and families (including sources of help and support) is available on the dedicated It’s Okay To Ask campaign page.