Barnet (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A new survey in Barnet, Brent, and Harrow reveals rising financial worries among parents, raising concerns over well-being and child-rearing under pressure.
According to a family support agency, nearly nine out of ten families in north London are finding it more difficult to raise children due to financial concerns and the cost of living problem.
According to a Home-Start Barnet research, 86% of the people they assist may have sleep deprivation as a result of financial strains, with single parents particularly experiencing the effects.
The charity, which helps 800 families in Barnet and the nearby towns of Brent and Harrow, claims that the increase in demand for its services over the last five years alone is an indication of the growing strain on parents.
“Many more families are coming to us for help,”
Chief executive Guljabeen Rahman said. “We are noticing a rise in complex circumstances and needs.
“Parents are overwhelmed by the pressure of simply trying to get by.”
72 volunteers from the charity visit 188 families in Barnet, Brent, and Harrow once a week.
For many families, these volunteers provide a lifeline, making parents feel less isolated and more capable of handling life so they can concentrate on raising and educating their kids.
The study examined the difficulties parents face when raising children and the potential benefits of support.
It was found that by visiting families in their homes, support professionals might significantly enhance their mental health by helping them overcome the sense of loneliness that comes with coping.
One parent in Harrow said:
“Home-Start helped me when I was in a deep depression — my volunteer helped me get out of the house.”
One of the charity’s volunteers in Harrow, Anchal, said:
“I remember the first family I supported and the pride I felt to see both mum and baby slowly grow in confidence. Some of the things they achieved after just six months would have seemed unimaginable at the start.”
300 families’ comments served as the basis for the study, which was published during Maternal Mental Health Week.
One in two single parents reported that they had trouble paying for necessities like food and diapers, and 86% claimed that their financial concerns make parenting more difficult and 81% feel “stressed and anxious.”
Check out https://homestartbarnet.org to learn how to seek assistance.
To assist local families, Home-Start Barnet is now looking for new volunteers. For more information or to volunteer, visit https://homestartbarnet.org/volunteer-with-us/.
How are families in Barnet, Brent, and Harrow coping with financial stress?
For assistance with groceries and other necessities, many families turn to neighborhood food banks, community kitchens, and voucher programs like Healthy Start.
Families can stretch their expenditures further by taking use of programs like the Romanian Food Hub and London’s Community Kitchen, which offer free or inexpensive food.
Free financial help, debt counselling, and assistance with housing or benefits issues are provided by organisations such as Citizens help and the Barnet Wellbeing Hub.
These groups assist families in obtaining their rights and navigating challenging financial circumstances.
Councils are disbursing funds such as the Household Support Fund to needy families in order to offer crisis grants, free holiday school meals, rent help, and utility coupons. For instance, Harrow Council has set aside more than £1.4 million to assist locals in coping with the growing cost of living.