A cross-party group of MPs from across the UK has signed a joint letter to the Cabinet Office calling on the Government to adopt Baby Boxes as a central intervention in the upcoming National Child Poverty Strategy.
The letter, co-signed by MPs from across England and orchestrated by The Children’s Foundation in association with British Baby Box, highlights the proven success of the charity’s Baby Box initiative, which was first piloted in the North East of England by Mayor Kim McGuinness and offers a low-cost, high-impact solution to tackle early childhood inequality and poverty while also focusing on child development.
The Baby Box scheme gives vulnerable first-time parents a curated box of essential items and developmental tools to support their baby’s first 1,001 days of life. It has already been successfully rolled out across multiple NHS Trusts and local authorities, and was recently awarded funding through the North East Combined Authority’s Child Poverty Prevention Programme to deliver 1,450 Baby Boxes by August 2025. In addition, the North East Child Poverty Action Plan approved last week by the North East Mayor Kim McGuinness extends commitments to help more families through this work.
Now, The Children’s Foundation is calling on the Government to go further by integrating the Baby Box model into national policy.
“This is about levelling the playing field from day one,” said Sean Soulsby, CEO of The Children’s Foundation. “The Baby Box helps ease the financial burden for families while delivering vital tools to support child development. It directly addresses two key pillars of the National Child Poverty Strategy: reducing essential costs and giving children the best possible start in life.”
A 2024 independent evaluation by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) found 100% of parents felt more confident and supported after receiving a Baby Box. The project was also highlighted in the North East Child Poverty Commission’s 2024 No Time to Wait report as a practical, scalable intervention.
The joint letter, sent in July 2025, urges Government to:
- Provide Baby Boxes to all first-time parents meeting the Vulnerable Parent / Healthy Child Plus criteria, including teenage parents and care leavers, across England.
- Match fund regional NHS Trusts and Combined Authorities to scale delivery.
- Integrate the initiative into national early years policy.
- Appoint a ministerial representative to join the National Steering Group for Baby Boxes.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said baby boxes are a cornerstone in delivering her strategy to lift families out of poverty:
“Baby boxes are a vital way to ensure there is equality between all kids during their first 1,000 days.
“That’s because they’re a cost effective way to give parents the little essentials they need like room thermometers, playmats and stimulating toys to raise happy, healthy and engaged children, no matter what their household circumstances.
“Our baby box scheme has proven to be such a success that even more families will be receiving baby boxes as we’re expanding our programme.
“Parents across the UK should have access to the same support we’re delivering, therefore I urge Ministers to include baby boxes in the Government’s national child poverty strategy.”
Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, praised the project:
“This is exactly the kind of intervention we need to support families. It’s simple, effective and has the power to change lives. My team was so impressed by the model - this should be available nationwide.”
With referrals from midwives and health visitors beginning at 20 weeks of pregnancy, and direct home delivery of boxes by 34 weeks, the project meets families where they are, before challenges escalate.
“Every baby deserves dignity, support, and opportunity, regardless of postcode,” added Sean Soulsby. “We urge the Government to demonstrate its commitment to ending child poverty by championing this proven, preventative measure.”