Britain is one of the world’s richest countries. So why do a third of its children live in poverty?

Child poverty has reached record levels in the United Kingdom in recent years. Victoria Jones/Shutterstock London —

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 a