Reg. Charity No. 1000013
Text TCFNE to 70085 to donate. More Info
How To Find Us
- Sir James Spence Institute,
RVI,
Queen Victoria Road,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 4LP
United Kingdom
ADDRESSING CHILD POVERTY IN THE NORTH EAST ONE BABY BOX AT A TIME
According to a 2024 report by the North East Child Poverty Commission, a third of all babies, children and young people in the north east of England are currently living in poverty. The Children’s Foundation was created in the 1990s to address the issues facing young people and families in the region then, and we have continued to build projects and support initiatives that address the issues that are directly impacting our children today, and the child poverty crisis in the North East is more significant than ever. The number of children living in poverty has to be addressed head on. Not only is it limiting the life chances and outcomes of tens of thousands of children and families across the North East, it is holding the whole of our region back. No child should be living in poverty in 2024, but the sheer number that are will directly impact the way that the North East is able to operate in the future. We can’t turn away from the issue any longer and as a region we need to come together and act now to future-proof our region and give our children the childhood they deserve.
The North East Child Poverty Commission report shows that the North East has experienced the steepest increases in child poverty over much of the last decade and includes The Children’s Foundation’s Baby Box project as a tactical recommendation to tackle child poverty here in the region, included under Priority 3 which focuses on supporting the best start in life for the next generation. Our Baby Box project was developed as a direct response to the issue of child poverty in the region and every box is designed to give a helping hand to new parents and to allow every child the best start so they can lead healthy, happy lives.
Far too many North-East children are born into poverty and our region has fallen behind others in terms of school attainment and health inequalities. The Baby Box was created support healthy baby development through simple everyday moments and is the only one of its kind currently in circulation in the UK. The Baby Box is a cost-effective scheme to help reduce inequalities in the North East and we have already had interest from other local authorities across England including Blackpool and two London boroughs. In time, we hope that the scheme will be adopted country wide.
We developed the Baby Box by working with, and listening to parents, midwives, family nurses, GPs and experts and contains books and developmentally stimulating toys, as well as essential items to get families started and support with the rising cost of living. Positive experiences early in life are closely associated with better performances at school, good emotional development, improved work outcomes, and better lifelong health and we are working with families at a time when they need our support more than ever. The North East has a long history of coming together to make big things happen and we owe it to our next generation to raise awareness of this issue at a national level to give our next generation the opportunity to be well-rounded, creative, confident and aspirational children, no matter what their economic circumstances are.
Businesses in the region are invited to pay it forward by purchasing a box as a gift for expectant parents as they head off on maternity and paternity. Every box purchased will provide The Children’s Foundation with funding to gift an additional box to a vulnerable family right here in the region.
Individuals who would like to support the campaign and improve the health and well-being of children and young people in the North East can donate £3 by texting ‘MAM’ to 70450.