Thea Jaffe never expected to use a baby bank. In fact, she was responsible for referring other single parents from her local community group to the charity Little Village, which provides essential supplies for new parents who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them – everything from strollers and cots to clothes, diapers, toys and books.
But when Jaffe, who lives in London, became pregnant unexpectedly with her second child, she couldn’t afford to buy everything she needed. “It’s so overwhelming having to accommodate a baby with no budget,” she told CNN.
“I was already struggling financially… but I didn’t know how bad things were going to get… Now things are at a point where I’m working full time, and I cannot pay my bills.”
Child poverty has reached a record high in the United Kingdom as the country’s cost of living soars and its social security safety net falters following years of government austerity. With public services much weakened, charities like Little Village have stepped in.
The issue is firmly under the spotlight this week as campaign groups call on Britain’s Labour government to prioritize measures to reduce child poverty in its annual budget, which will be unveiled on Wednesday.
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