Baby banks have quietly become a vital service for new parents – why have we allowed it?

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit baby banks in three very different parts of the country – Leeds, Bicester and Bedford. Each had its own unique set of challenges, shaped by the needs of its community. But they all had one thing in common: an extraordinary level of dedication from the people who keep them running. 

People like Jennie, who runs Faces Baby Bank in Bedford. She gets a call from a maternity ward, alerting her that a new mum has given birth with nothing, and within hours she is there with a bundle full of essentials – nappies, babygros, wipes, a moses basket. 

No one should have to start the journey of motherhood that way, yet it’s happening across the UK every single day. When I think back to my own experience of giving birth, in those fragile first days I was surrounded by support and all the little things that make a big difference when you’re caring for a newborn. But for so many that’s just not the case, and we need to ask: why is this happening? And how can we fix it?

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At Leeds Baby Bank, I met Faye and Chantal who lead the team of volunteers there. They shared a heartbreaking statistic: one in two children in South Leeds live in poverty. Half of all children in that area.  

Summer brings more pressure. Children who normally receive free school meals are suddenly without that vital support. Childcare is unaffordable. Holiday clubs are few and far between. Parents are left juggling work and care, constantly trying to plug the gaps. 

Read more:

• Too many babies don’t have a safe place to sleep. This baby bank is trying to change that
• How baby banks are fighting child poverty and empowering mums in the cost of living crisis
• Being pregnant during cost of living crisis made me depressed. Baby banks helped take the shame away

The Baby Bank Alliance estimates that more than 3.5 million essential items were distributed by baby banks across the country last year. Baby banks have quietly become a critical pillar of support. They’re not just a place to pick up clothes or nappies, they’re a sanctuary. They offer advice, compassion and a sense of solidarity to people who often feel invisible. They’re doing incredible work with very limited resources and without the recognition or support they deserve. 

The UK government recently announced hundreds of thousands more children will qualify for free school meals from next year. But what happens outside of term time? When schools are closed but hunger and stress remain? 

Poverty doesn’t disappear. It’s every single day. We need a plan that reflects this reality and provides sustained, year-round support to families who need it. Right now, 4.5 million children are living in poverty in the UK. That’s nearly five million individual stories, five million futures at risk. If nothing changes, that number will rise before the end of this parliament. That is not acceptable.

No government, no society, should accept that. The work of baby banks is heroic, but they should be part of a much broader policy that protects and uplifts every child.

Find a baby bank near you via the UK map at Baby Bank Alliance.

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