PROJECTS that provide help to families when they need it most are being given a £2.4 million funding boost, the Scottish Government has announced.

The money, from the Scottish Legal Aid Board's Tackling Money Worries scheme, will help eight projects which help parents cope with the birth of a child and early years.

Two initiatives which aim to help families undergoing changes such as a relationship breakdown will also benefit, along with six projects which help people going through the criminal justice system, including families where someone is in prison or is just about to be freed from jail.

The funding announcement comes days after a a new map of child poverty in Scotland was published by campaigners, showing that in Glasgow a third of youngsters are living in families who are struggling to get by.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "It is vital that the most vulnerable members of our society are provided with the help and support they need, at the times they need it most.

"The Tackling Money Worries programme will help 16 projects across Scotland deliver this support."