Funding secured for 500 ‘baby boxes’ to help Gateshead families
New funding has secured over 500 new ‘baby boxes’ for families in Gateshead.
Government funding, in the form of the family hubs and Start for Life programme, and cash from the North East Combined Authority has helped in the purchasing of 570 new boxes for Gateshead. The boxes include “essential resources” include sleep sacks, changing mats, bath towels, toothbrushes and thermometers among other equipment.
The boxes also contain toys, games and books, to help stimulate development, with a focus on playing, reading, singing and counting.
A council report on the boxes also states one of the aims of the boxes is to help booster parent-child bonding in the first year of the child’s life. Enrolment typically takes place at 20-28 weeks of pregnancy through a midwife or heatlh visitor, with more mothers getting the box at 32 weeks.
As of now, 260 baby boxes have been distributed across Gateshead. In addition, where boxes used to only be handed to first-time families, it is now up to the discretion of maternity staff and health visitors as to how many can be issued.
The initiative first kicked off in June 2022 as part of the Children’s Foundation’s ‘Make a Million’ campaign, which aims to provide all first-time parents in the North East with a baby box. Gateshead was selected as an initial pilot area, with 50 boxes made availble.
Vulnerable first time mothers were part of the first cohort of baby boxes.
Gateshead Council’s report also included quotes from mothers who had benefited from a box.
One mother included in the report stated: “Really good idea for first-time parents and especially young parents like myself as it has given me more confidence.”