More families forced to use baby banks during pandemic
Some baby banks have seen demand more than quadruple
Last updated 26th May 2021
The huge financial strain of the pandemic is forcing more and more families around the UK to rely on baby banks.
According to new statistics, almost half of young parents in the UK have had to use baby banks during the pandemic to get essentials like nappies and formula, and just under a fifth have relied on the banks on a weekly basis.
The research, conducted by Pampers, also shows that more than a quarter of mums and dads feel like they've failed as parents.
In some areas demand has quadrupled
Baby Basics' baby bank in Sheffield has seen demand more than quadruple during the pandemic.
CEO Cat Ross says the rise in demand has been caused by the financial strain on families during Covid: "There's always been an issue that we do have a level of child poverty in this country that we shouldn't have as a developed country so there was already a high proportion of families who were struggling before the pandemic hit and sadly that's just made things worse for them.
"On top of that there were a lot of families who were just managing to cope who have now dipped.
"There are a number of families who have had to access services like ours and services like foodbanks for the first time. We continually, and always have. supported some families who do have parents working that are still struggling. But more and more so we're seeing those families in need - the additional cost that families have faced during the pandemic is huge."
Child poverty could continue
Fears remain that we may not have yet seen the worst effects of the pandemic on child poverty.
Cat Ross thinks Baby Basics will be busy for at least another year: "For families it's going to take them a while to recover and I think once furlough ends at the end of September sadly we're going to see an increase in unemployment and that's going to have an additional knock-on effect for families.
"We're working on the basis that this high increase in demand is going to be here for at least the next 12 months."