Restaurant

Kidscan calls for help to support vulnerable children facing a tough start to the school year.

very morning school principal Warren Cook gets to work around 6.30am — not to catch up on a backlog of admin but to make breakfast for his school’s 200 students.

It is a task he carries out with a heavy heart: “I would say at least half turn up hungry not having eaten breakfast and wondering where their next meal is coming from. No kid should have to think about this, it’s hard to watch.”

Cook, principal of Middle School West Auckland in Henderson, is speaking as research conducted by Colmar Brunton on behalf of Kidscan shows a lack of food is one of a myriad of challenges confronting Kiwi kids living in poverty, many of whom go to school without the essentials such as food and adequate clothing.

Kidscan says the situation has been made worse by the fall-out from Covid-19 and is aiming to raise $350,000 to help families struggling with back-toschool costs. The money raised will help provide hot meals, breakfast and other items for school children including fleece-lined jackets and shoes.

Cook, who has been teaching for 15 years and has been principal at the Henderson school since 2018, says the situation is getting worse: “A lot of children are tired and hungry which puts them on the back foot before they even get to school.”

Before the school day begins Cook and other staff prepare a breakfast of cereal, milk and bread for all 200 students. They also put on morning tea and hot meals for lunch which are provided by Kidscan.

“It’s for all kids whether they have had breakfast at home or not, we don’t like to single anyone out. We serve the food for whoever wants it.”

He says poverty has a huge impact on the school readiness of students. “Children come to school late, some have to look after siblings and get them to school first. They will come with smelly uniforms because there are no (washing) machines at home or parents can’t afford to launder.”

One case that sticks in his mind is a student who turned up with shoes with big holes in them and white bandages around his ankles. He wasn’t injured. His family just couldn’t afford the uniform white socks, a predicament which led Cook to change the uniform to black socks supplied by Kidscan.

Another case he was “gutted” to learn about recently was that of one of his former students (who had moved on to secondary school) who was

“I would say at least half turn up hungry not having eaten breakfast and wondering where their next meal is coming from. No kid should have to think about this, it’s hard to watch.”

forced to quit study to find work in order to help out with his family’s finances.

Cook says the school has tried to reduce as many of the barriers students face in coming to school as possible by offering free stationery, uniforms and no fees.

Kidscan CEO Julie Chapman says teachers are preparing for a tough start to the school year as more families than ever struggle with back-toschool costs.

“For the more than 800 schools we support this a particularly challenging time of year and is only exacerbated by Covid-19,” she says. “Children don’t arrive ready to learn; many are hungry, missing a uniform, shoes and stationery.

“The impact is huge. Some won’t make it to school at all. Others arrive wet, in dirty clothes, feeling embarrassed, stressed, and exhausted. They can’t participate in class like their peers, and miss out on camps, sport and other extracurricular activities. This is too big a burden for our young people to bear.”

Chapman is urging Kiwis to visit

and donate to help provide items for school children. She says $10 will provide breakfast for a hungry child for a week

Photo / supplied

and $50 will help give them a fleece-lined jacket and shoes. Kidscan’s principal partner, Meridian Energy, is kicking off the campaign by contributing 25,000 hot meals.

Those wanting to help Kiwis affected by poverty year-round can support one child with the essentials for $30 a month.

Kidscan helps the one in five children experiencing hardship in 822 low-decile schools and 99 early childhood centres. Last year it supplied schools with 778 tonnes of food (including 1.3 million servings of hot lunches), 48,700 jackets, 27,200 pairs of shoes and socks, 28,000 bottles of head lice treatment and 135,000 packets of period products.