Homelessness and temporary accommodation have contributed to the deaths of at least 55 children in England since 2019, according to new research. The data, compiled by the National Child Mortality Database, shows the majority of those who died were babies under the age of one.
Lack of access to a cot in temporary accommodation, coupled with overcrowding, exposure to poor conditions such as damp and mould, poverty, uncertainty and repeated change are all considered to be possible causes of the unexpected deaths.
Bishop David joined the Shared Health Foundation, a non-profit based in Oldham, in delivering a petition to Downing Street calling for cots to be provided for every child under two living in temporary accommodation.
Bishop David said, "We need to get children out of unfit temporary accommodation and into homes that are safe, secure, and healthy."
