AberNecessities has warned that growing numbers of families across Aberdeen and the North-east are struggling to afford the essentials their children need, as new data published by the Baby Bank Alliance shows that baby banks across the UK last year supported 400,000 - more than 1,000 children every day.
In the last 12 months, AberNecessities supported over 9,000 children across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, distributing over 130,000 essential items including clothing, nappies, cots, prams and baby equipment.
The Baby Bank Alliance's annual survey found demand increased across almost every area of support provided by baby banks in 2025.
- 400,000 children were supported by baby banks last year, an 11% increase on 2024.
- 16,000 cots, cot beds and travel cots were given to families, up 20%.
- 24,000 tubs of formula milk were distributed, up 26%.
- 9.4 million nappies and 6.4 million items of clothing were provided to families in need.
More than half of baby banks surveyed reported they had been unable to fulfil some referrals because of shortages of essential items, while many continue to operate waiting lists for high-demand items such as prams.
AberNecessities says the figures show that baby banks are no longer providing occasional emergency help, but are increasingly becoming part of the frontline safety net for families facing poverty, housing insecurity and rising living costs.
Chair of the Baby Bank Alliance Sophie Livingstone MBE said: "Every child has the right to a safe place to sleep, and clothes to keep them warm.
"Children having to rely on baby banks for essentials is unacceptable. We know families are struggling more than ever with work and housing insecurity, rising energy and food bills, and unaffordable childcare.
"Baby banks are doing everything they can to provide a crucial safety net and stop families from falling through the cracks, but charities alone cannot continue to absorb the impact of child poverty on this scale. It's time the government took the impact of poverty in children's early years more seriously."
Danielle Flecher-Horn, Founder of AberNecessities said "Behind every number in this report is a parent trying to do the very best and a child going without the essentials.
"We're seeing families who are working hard, making sacrifices and doing everything they can, yet still struggling to afford things as basic as nappies, clothing or a safe place for their baby to sleep. What concerns us most isn't that baby banks exist. It's that more and more families need them.
"No parent should be worrying about how they're going to provide the essentials their child needs, but for too many families across our city and shire, that's the reality. We cannot allow that to become normal."
The findings suggest that the challenges facing families extend beyond financial hardship. Across the UK, 75% of baby banks surveyed identified unsuitable or insecure housing as one of the most pressing issues affecting the families they support.
AberNecessities is calling for urgent support from local donors, businesses and decision-makers to help meet rising demand. The charity is particularly seeking corporate partnerships, volunteers and financial support.