Debt, depression and despair: the true cost of school summer holidays for UK’s most vulnerable families
Nearly three-quarters of families supported by Cash for Kids will go into debt over the school holidays
Ahead of Cash for Kids Day, we have been speaking to some of the people we support which has revealed the heartbreaking impact the upcoming summer holidays will have on vulnerable families.
A survey of over 300 of our beneficiaries revealed struggling parents are 'dreading’ the six week-long break, with the cost of extra meals having a devastating impact on family finances, mental health and relationships. Cash for Kids Day, taking place this Thursday 2nd May, will be raising funds specifically to tackle the problem of holiday hunger.
The responses to the 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 we 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
With the cost-of-living crisis still having a painful impact on the UK’s most vulnerable families, the revelation that 72% of parents we support expect to go into debt to cope with the added financial pressure of the summer holidays is extremely worrying. With children at home for such an extended period of time, and many missing out on what is often their only hot meal of the day - school dinners - parents are already anticipating the harsh realities of the six-week break.
Paula Gascoigne from an organisation we've supported told us: "Many of the families we support dread school holidays as they struggle to provide healthy, hot meals for their children. Parents often feel guilty and ashamed that they are unable to do so. School days are often the happiest for some of our children as they know they will receive a good breakfast and healthy meal at lunchtime."
Michelle Porter, Headteacher at a school we work 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 our charity 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."