Cost of feeding children leaves parents dreading summer holidays

Struggling parents in and around Staffordshire and Cheshire are 'dreading' the long school summer holiday because of the extra pressure it puts on their finances according to new research.

Charity Cash For Kids has been speaking to some of the families their fundraising supports to determine the impact of the summer holidays on vulnerable families.

The survey revealed the cost of extra meals over the holidays affects family finances, mental health and relationships.

84% of families surveyed skipping meals

Responses to Cash For Kids' survey uncovered a picture of spiralling debt, high use of food banks and community food groups and an increase in anxiety, depression and feelings of guilt amongst parents who feel as if they’re failing their children.

• 84% of the families they support are skipping meals once a week and almost a third are going without meals on a daily basis
• 80% are using a food bank or similar community food scheme in order to put food on the table
• Almost three-quarters expect to go into debt over the school holidays
• Around half can only afford to buy fresh fruit and vegetables once every two weeks

Cash for Kids Day, taking place this Thursday 2nd May, will be raising funds specifically to tackle the problem of holiday hunger.

With the cost-of-living crisis still impacting the UK’s most vulnerable families, the charity says that 72% of parents they spoke to expect to go into debt to cope with the added financial pressure of the summer holidays.

Parents struggling to provide hot meals

Shenna Bateman is from The Hubb Foundation in Stoke-on-Trent, one of the charities across Staffordshire and Cheshire which receives support from Cash for Kids.

"Summer holiday's are particularly stressful." she said.

"We were concerned about children not eating during the school holidays. Our initial premise was about food but we soon realised it was much more than that. Parents told us they couldn't afford to take their children on trips or outings, even for some families just getting them to Hanley to go to the museum was beyond their means.

"We'd heard anecdotal tales that parents were either not eating themselves in order to feed their children, or they were using other money such as utility or rent money to feed their children which meant they were in debt."

School holidays affecting parent's mental health

Michelle Porter, Headteacher at a school the charity works with said: "Many of the parents of our pupils tell us that the lead up to the long school holidays fills them with trepidation and worry.

"The stress of the added financial impact of having children at home with food, extra fuel costs, as well as upcoming uniform costs for returning to school, has a negative impact on their mental health."

Others revealed that they had seen family units break down because of the stress and that children had resorted to stealing from their peers or shops because they believed they were helping their parents.

Sally Aitchison MBE, Managing Director of Cash For Kids said: "What we have heard loud and clear from the results of this survey is just how hard families are still finding it to fund the basics and how much they are dreading the approaching summer holidays.

"What should be six weeks of fun, family bonding and a chance to for children to regroup before the start of a school year, is in fact an anxiety filled time of worry for many parents and children alike.

"We’re so grateful to everyone that is supporting Cash for Kids Day this year - their generosity gives us the chance to make a huge difference to the children we help."

Cash for Kids Day is coming on Thursday 2nd May 2nd to support schemes and organisations that are tackling holiday hunger. Find out more at greatesthitsradio.co.uk/cfkday.

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