The families facing a food crisis in school holidays | Letters
Andrew Forsey urges the government to restore the link between free school meals and the holiday activities and food programme There are 500,000 children growing up in poorer families who are confronted by a similarly cruel cliff edge to the one covered by your article ( Chancellor urged to fix £100k childcare ‘cliff edge’ that prompts parents to cut work, 10 September ). It is this group of…
Andrew Forsey has called on the government to reconnect free school meals with the holiday activities and food programme (HAF). Approximately 500,000 children from poorer families experience a similar "cliff edge" when transitioning from term time to the holidays. These children, who have recently become eligible for means-tested free school meals during term time, are unexpectedly barred from accessing the HAF program.
While the government has recognized the necessity of providing extra support to these children during term time, it has seemingly decided that this need does not apply during the school holidays. The HAF program offers nutritious meals, enriching activities, and free childcare to numerous families. Since its inception, eligibility for the program has consistently been tied to the receipt of free school meals.
However, the government's decision to sever this link will leave working parents, earning as little as £7,500 annually, unable to benefit from this crucial support. The gains their children make during term time could be lost due to this lack of assistance over the holidays.
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