Charity co-ordinators of the National Breakfast Club Programme, Family Action and Magic Breakfast, will work closely with schools in disadvantaged areas so children most in need can continue to receive a healthy breakfast in July and August.
The charities are making arrangements with schools on the programme so that they can access this during the summer school holidays, which may include parents collecting food parcels or breakfast food ‘drop offs’ to make sure families are getting the support they need.
Children’s Minister Vicky Ford said, ‘My priority has always been to protect and support the children who need a helping hand, and it’s more important than ever before that they remain at the heart of everything we do.
‘Extending our popular and successful breakfast club programme over the summer holidays will mean thousands of children continue getting a positive start to their day.
‘As a Government, we are responding to the needs of families who are struggling – that’s why we put in place an unprecedented package of support to tackle the unique challenges they face.’
Parents will be able to redeem the voucher at supermarkets and shops signed up to the scheme, which include Iceland, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, M&S, Aldi and McColl’s.
The Community Shop, which has several outlets around the country, will also join the list.
David Holmes, chief executive of Family Action said, ‘Family Action and Magic Breakfast, as the providers of the National School Breakfast Programme, have succeeded in keeping this essential programme open and available to over a thousand schools and tens of thousands of children and families during lockdown.
‘We are delighted to flex the programme delivery so that we can now also support many National School Breakfast Programme schools, children and families with access to nutritious breakfast supplies during the coming summer holidays.’
The extension of the breakfast clubs programme by the Department for Education follows the recent announcement of the Covid Summer Food Fund that will provide free school meals to eligible pupils nationally over the holidays.
The fund will support children who are eligible for free school meals with a voucher to cover the six-week summer holiday. The Government said it will also deliver at least four weeks of free activities and healthy food for around 50,000 children via its Holiday Activities and Food programme in 17 local authorities across England during July and August.