The government has announced three new measures as part of its updated Child Poverty Strategy, all designed — in theory — to improve financial support for families across the UK.

But as always, headlines don’t tell the whole story.

On paper, these changes sound promising:

1. Greater childcare access for parents on Universal Credit returning to work
2. Funding to end the practice of placing families in B&Bs long-term
3. Reforms to make baby formula more affordable

But what do these changes actually mean for the millions of families currently struggling?
What do they mean for SEND households, who are statistically twice as likely to experience poverty?
And will they make a real difference — or simply soften the edges of a much deeper crisis?

Let’s break it down honestly.

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1. “Greater childcare access for parents on Universal Credit returning to work”

The headline sounds positive. The reality is complicated.

Childcare is one of the biggest barriers facing parents — especially single parents and those with disabled children. For many families, working full-time doesn’t even cover the cost of nursery fees. So expanding access is a crucial step.

But here’s where the policy falls apart:

Childcare only works if childcare actually exists.

• Many nurseries are closing or running at reduced capacity.
• SEND children are often refused, restricted, or placed on long waiting lists.
• Staff shortages make it nearly impossible for providers to meet additional needs.
• The wraparound care required for working hours is often unavailable.

For SEND families, “greater access” means very little unless childcare settings are trained, funded, and legally held to inclusion expectations.

Childcare support will not succeed if the system itself can’t cope.

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2. “Funding to end placement of families in B&Bs long-term”

A welcome move — but unlikely to solve the root problem.

Children growing up in temporary accommodation is not a minor issue.
Many families live in one-room B&Bs with:

• No kitchen
• No privacy
• No space for homework
• No stability
• No routine
• No safety net

It is traumatising for children and deeply destabilising for parents.

Funding to stop this is a positive announcement.

But we must ask:

Where will these families go instead?

Local councils are already under immense pressure.
There are more families needing housing than there are homes available.
The shortage of affordable and accessible accommodation is severe.

Without building more homes, funding alone cannot end reliance on B&Bs.

This update fixes the symptom, not the cause.

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3. “Reforms to make baby formula more affordable”

A reminder of how desperate things have become.

Formula prices have risen dramatically.
Parents are watering down bottles to make tins last longer.
Supermarkets have security tags on newborn formula.
Foodbanks are reporting record demand for baby milk.

The fact that government reform is needed to make formula affordable is not a win.
It’s an alarm bell.

Lowering formula prices is essential, but it also exposes the uncomfortable truth:

We are living in a country where feeding a baby has become a financial crisis.

And for SEND families — who often rely on specialist formulas, allergy-safe milks, or more frequent feeding — the cost is even higher.

Formula reform helps. But it shouldn’t have been necessary in the first place.

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The Bigger Picture: Will Families Actually Feel the Difference?

These three updates are steps in the right direction, but none of them replace the structural issues driving the child poverty crisis:

• rising housing costs
• insecure work
• childcare shortages
• cuts to local services
• SEND discrimination
• rising food prices
• the legacy of the two-child cap

The government says it wants to “support families”.
But real support means addressing the root causes, not just the symptoms.

For SEND families, this is even more urgent.
They face higher costs, more barriers to work, and greater reliance on benefits — and often receive the least practical support.

Until the system itself changes, these updates offer progress, but not protection.

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Final Thought

Announcements are not the same as solutions.
Policies are not the same as lived experience.

These three new measures will help — but not enough, and not fast enough to undo the harm families have already faced.

Real support means investing in:

• accessible childcare
• affordable housing
• stable income
• SEND inclusion
• early intervention

And until those things happen, families will continue to struggle behind the headlines.