It has been described as his key priority in government, with Mr Swinney arguing mitigating the UK Government’s two-child benefit cap will lead to “progress”.
Ahead of a major speech, he said: “I am under no illusions that we will be able to end child poverty in Scotland overnight.
“It will take strong, collective action in the long-term – and that is what my government will deliver in partnership with people and organisations working in our communities.”
An ongoing row between the Scottish and UK Government continues in relation to the child benefit cap, with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner describing the Scottish Government’s plans to scrap it as a “little slogan”.
Scottish ministers announced in December it will mitigate the policy in 2026.
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During his major speech, Mr Swinney will also commit to delivering family-centred public services to help families get the correct support at the right time.
The speech will also highlight how the education system can be used to enable young people to overcome the barriers of poverty.
The First Minister said ahead of the speech: “If one child struggles, we all struggle.
“Helping our most vulnerable children is not just a moral imperative – it is a social and economic one too.
“Because Scotland will never reach its full potential until each and every one of us is able to flourish.
“I am determined to make progress as swiftly as possible towards our goal of eradicating child poverty – including putting in place the systems needed to end Labour’s two-child benefit cap.”
He added: “Our ambition to end child poverty must be central to the government’s agenda, now and beyond 2026.
“I am committed to putting in the hard yards – to bringing people together and identifying lasting solutions.
“If we work together, identify the solutions that work and make that happen relentlessly across Scotland, we have the potential to make a radical difference to our children’s lives.
“There is no greater long-term investment in our future success as a nation, and that is an investment I intend to make as First Minister.”
Mr Swinney will make a plea to opposition MSPs to back the budget to ensure the measures can be implemented.
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But Shelter Scotland has said that child homelessness must be addressed before poverty can be eradicated.
In a statement on social media, the housing charity said: “You must first tackle child homelessness. We hope to see worlds turning into meaningful action.”
Ahead of the 2025-26 budget speech in December, the charity urged ministers to restore the affordable housing budget to at least £3.5 billion over the course of this parliament.
The calls came after figures showed more than 10,000 children were living in temporary accommodation – the highest number on record and more than double the figure from a decade ago.
Alison Watson, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “If MSPs pass another budget that fails to adequately support housing, then they’re endorsing homelessness and condemning even more children to spend their childhoods without a permanent home.”
The Scottish Government’s 2025-26 includes £768 million for the affordable housing supply programme.
The increase of £212 million restores the affordable housing budget to its 2024-25 level after it was cut by a quarter last year.