The England International footballer, who was awarded an MBE last weekend for his work with vulnerable children, is calling on the Government to support three recommendations covered in the National Food Strategy as part of an ‘urgent recovery package’ for vulnerable children this Autumn.
The #endchildfoodpoverty campaign is supported by the Child Food Poverty Task Force which was formed by Marcus Rashford, a further 20 charities, and key names in the food industry.
The recommendations are:
- Expansion of free school meals to every child from a household on Universal Credit or equivalent, reaching an additional 1.5million seven- to 16-year-olds.
- Expansion of holiday provision (food and activities) to support all children on free school meals, reaching an additional 1.1million children.
- Increasing the value of the Healthy Start vouchers to £4.25 per week (from £3.10) and expanding into all those on Universal Credit or equivalent, reaching an additional 290,000 pregnant women and children under the age of four.
Mr Rashford successfully lobbied the Government into a U-turn over its free school meals policy during lockdown. But data from the Food Foundation, released today, shows that 1.4 million children (18 per cent) reported experiences of food insecurity over the summer holidays. This included being hungry because of lack of food at home; eating less to make food last longer; lack of money to buy more food and parents not eating because of lack of food at home.
Concerns are being raised over how children will be affected in the Autumn, with 6.3 per cent of children reporting being worried about going hungry during the October half term.
Mr Rashford, said, ‘For too long this conversation has been delayed. Child food poverty in the UK is not a result of Covid-19. We must act with urgency to stabilise the households of our vulnerable children.
‘In 2020, no child in the UK should be going to bed hungry, nor should they be sat in classrooms concerned about how their younger siblings are going to eat that day, or how they are going to access food come the holidays.
‘The school holidays used to be a highlight of the year for children. Today, it is met with anxiety from those as young as seven-years-old. Many have said that education is the most effective means of combating poverty. I do not disagree with this statement, but education is only effective when children can engage in learning. Right now, a generation who have already been penalised during this pandemic with lack of access to educational resources are now back in school struggling to concentrate due to worry and the sound of their rumbling stomachs.
‘Whatever your feeling, opinion, or judgement, food poverty is never the child's fault. Let's protect our young. Let's wrap arms around each other and stand together to say that this is unacceptable, that we are united in protecting our children. Today, millions of children are finding themselves in the most vulnerable of environments and are beginning to question what it really means to be British. I'm calling on you all today to help me prove to them that being British is something to be proud of.’
Rising numbers of families are struggling with food poverty, with 11 percent (850,000) of children aged eight- to 17 reporting that either they or their families had visited a food bank in the summer holidays. This was over 60 per cent higher in non–white British ethnic groups, according to Childwise data obtained from an online survey of 1,064 children aged seven- to- 17 years, carried out in the UK between 8-20 September.
The Food Foundation’s recent You Gov survey of 2,309 parents found that 31 per cent of parents of children on free school meals across the UK said they received no form of help over the summer holidays. For those that did get help, most (75 per cent) received vouchers. Ten per cent of all parents said that changes in the household budget affected their ability to purchase food over the summer holidays.
A Government spokesperson told Nursery World, ‘We have taken substantial action to make sure children and families do not go hungry by extending free school meals when schools closed, increasing welfare support by £9.3bn, and giving councils £63 million to provide emergency support to families for food and other essentials.
‘We also appreciate it has been a challenging time for families, which is why we have increased the safety net available to them with income protection schemes, mortgage holidays and support for renters.
‘We are grateful to Marcus Rashford for his work shining a light on the significant challenges families are facing at this time.’
Saffron (right), 15, from Portsmouth said, ‘After the U-Turn this summer, it felt like the Government finally understood that children can’t be left to go hungry during the holidays. But now we’re back in the same position of having to ask for help. Covid-19 isn’t going away, and even more families are struggling. Children need support during the holidays now more than ever.'
Andrew Forsey, national director of Feeding Britain, said, ‘Holiday clubs providing nutritious meals, enriching activities, and childcare this year proved themselves to be flexible, adaptable, and robust enough to deliver high-quality services for children and their families.
'But their coverage remains patchy and there are still too many children from families on low incomes at risk of falling through the cracks and being exposed to hunger. A multi-year funding settlement, as set out in the National Food Strategy, is required so that clubs can offer this provision across the whole of England.’
Tyler (right), 15, from Blackburn said, ‘My friends who have free school meals during term time already face being bullied about it, but at least they get the meal they need. But during the holidays, when we hang out together, they are clearly ashamed that they don’t have enough money to buy basics, like a drink or a bite to eat. This can really divide kids and make those that go without feel excluded. The holidays, which we are meant to look forward to, are instead just really stressful.’
- Click here to sign the petition.
- The Food Foundation, a charity working to influence food policy and business practice has today launched the Children’s Right 2 Food Dashboard which is a one-stop-shop for data and research on what children across the UK are eating and the effects on their wellbeing and long-term health http://www.childrensright2food.co.uk/