Cost of feeding children leaves parents dreading summer holidays
Nearly three-quarters of families supported by charity Cash for Kids will go into debt over the school holidays
Last updated 2nd May 2024
Struggling parents 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 across Tayside and Fife 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
Debbie Carling from Hill View Nursery in Dundee which Cash For Kids has supported told us:
"The children that are really really desperately in need of help and have just no one else - or they may have poor health conditions - we do actually take some of these children in in huts during the holiday because we are aware these parents are actually desperate."
Resettlement Coordinator at Angus Council, Jean Forsyth, is telling us the difference food can make to struggling families.
She said:
'Food is almost an engagement tool so we can get families in and we can have these discussions around what other support they need.
It does make people feel really relaxed because everybody's in the same position and eating together is a very social thing.'
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."
What is the Government doing to help?
A government spokesperson told us: “We understand times are tough for many families. To help, we are investing over £200m to in our holiday programme to provide healthy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families.
"We have also extended eligibility for free school meals more than any other government over the past half a century – doubling the number of children receiving them since 2010.
“We have also provided support worth on average £3,800 per household, including raising benefits, unfreezing the Local Housing Allowance and helping people with essentials through the Household Support Fund.”
Cash for Kids Day is coming on Thursday 2nd May to support schemes and organisations that are tackling holiday hunger. Find out more at greatesthitsradio.co.uk/cfkday.