Nursery World - Government performs u-turn over free school meals in holidays

Disadvantaged schoolchildren will receive free meals during the Christmas holidays, and under-fours will benefit from a top-up in vouchers for healthy food from April, the Government has announced.

Healthy Start Vouchers for low-income families with under-fours will rise to £4.25 a week from April 2021

Following a major public campaign, in which Marcus Rashford MBE united the nation with his fight to #endchildfoodpoverty, prime minister Boris Johnson telephoned Mr Rashford personally on Saturday (7 November) to deliver the news.

The £170m winter grant scheme will be distributed through councils in England from December 1 up until March 2021, with at least 80 per cent earmarked for help with food and bills.

On top of this, disadvantaged children will be able to get healthy food and take part in enriching activities over Easter, summer, Christmas and in 2021 with a £220m investment and extension to the holiday food and activities programme.

Healthy Start Vouchers for pregnant women and low-income families in England with children under four, will increase from £3.10 a week per child to £4.25 a week, starting in April 2021. The vouchers allow families to purchase free vitamins and food vouchers to purchase vegetables, fruit, pulses and milk.

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