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Free school meals extended over Easter holidays for struggling families
Free school meals will be extended over the Easter holidays to stop children from poorer homes going hungry after Bristol City Council helped force a government U-turn.
The local authority, along with Birmingham and Leeds councils, sent a letter last week urging ministers to reverse their decision not to fund the vital food service during the two-week break, having maintained it would be available only during term time.
Speaking at a coronavirus press conference over the weekend, former education secretary Michael Gove said schools could give vulnerable families vouchers over Easter “to support household incomes”.
is needed now More than ever
Bristol mayor Marvin Rees welcomed the announcement as “fantastic news” for families in the city struggling to feed their youngsters.
He told BBC Radio Bristol’s Emma Britton on Monday: “Hunger has been one of the huge challenges as a result of the measures we have had to take, with people not getting access to food, particularly children who were going to be on free school meals but they’re not going to school.
“We wrote to the Government because a voucher scheme that was in place during term time was not going to be in place for the Easter holidays, so we were facing the prospect of kids in Bristol not eating properly over the holidays or facing a real financial challenge.
“But we’re pleased to say that over the weekend we got news that the Government has now changed its policy.
“The voucher scheme that was in place during term time is going to be extended over the Easter holidays, which is fantastic news for our families in Bristol.”
Square Food Foundation launched a #SquareMeals initiative to help families cope during the pandemic. Photo courtesy of Square Food Foundation
In the letter to education secretary Gavin Williamson, Rees and Birmingham and Leeds city council leaders Ian Ward and Judith Blake had urged him to reconsider the policy.
They wrote: “Many families are now finding themselves, perhaps for the first time, unable to feed their families and cover essential costs.
“We are asking the Department for Education to guarantee and underwrite the full costs of providing FSM [free school meals] during the Easter holidays to all eligible children.
“The rapid closure of schools and social distancing measures means families are not well prepared for the Easter break, will have increased difficulty in managing their children and young people and be more vulnerable to the impact of food poverty.”
The government U-turn means the £15 weekly voucher will continue over the Easter break.
Gove said at the weekend: “For children eligible for free school meals, vouchers will be available through the holidays to support household income.”
Adam Postans is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Main photo: USDA
Read more: Getting free school meals to children in the midst of coronavirus
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