Right now, four in 10 parents across the UK are struggling to afford the essential items they need to care for their newborn babies.
Poverty keeps too many babies and toddlers from building the healthy foundations they need to learn, play, and grow. It undermines their futures, leading to delays in speech and physical development, and damages their emotional wellbeing.
Why this matters now
Our recent survey of 2,000 UK parents with children under five has found that 43% of parents feel their child is starting school at a disadvantage due to financial pressures at home. Nearly half (47%) said they had to avoid buying toys, books or educational resources in the past 12 months because of cost.
We welcomed the ending of the unfair two-child limit on benefit payments and the UK government’s child poverty strategy. However, with more than four million children still living in poverty, more action is needed to build the foundations that babies and toddlers need to thrive.
What you can do to help
Every year, we support families with the building blocks they need to make them feel safer, happier, healthier and more hopeful – from providing newborn basics like a cot, baby grows and nappies to breastfeeding support groups. But more action from the government is needed to build the foundations that babies and toddlers in poverty need to thrive.
The introduction of a universal baby bundle scheme, providing every family with a package of high-quality essentials, alongside signposting to advice and support, would give each baby the best possible start.
That’s why we need your help to urge the government to tackle early years poverty as a priority, and support baby bundles.
What are baby bundles?
Baby bundles are a practical, proven way to support families from day one. They include essentials like clothes, nappies, books and connect parents to local support that they need right from the start.
As well as helping relieve parents of some of the costs of getting ready to bring a new baby home, they also support parents to bond with their baby and to engage with local services. But across the rest of the UK, access depends on where you live.
That’s why the government must put support in the early years at the centre of its child poverty strategy, because no child should reach school age before receiving help.
“We were financially stable...then we ended up homeless” - Aimee’s story
Aimee, a care-experienced (someone who grew up in the care system) mum from Scotland, explains how quickly circumstances can change and push a family into homelessness after we supported her family to get back into housing.
Worried about money?
If you or someone you care about is struggling to afford the essentials, like heating, food or rent, you're not alone. Whether it’s rising food and energy bills or a sudden change in income, financial pressure can affect anyone.
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