Poorer families will face holiday hunger
Summer health fears for low-income kids
SUMMER holidays are “exceptionally difficult” for children in many low-income families and can have a detrimental impact on health and learning, a study found.
The research discovered kids’ health may be put at risk through isolation, extended periods of inactivity and malnourishment, as many lose access to free school meals and suffer “holiday hunger”.
The University of Glasgow paper, a review of UK-wide research, found children from poorer families also have less opportunity to take part in the enriching activities their better-off peers take for granted and their learning “stagnates and declines”.
The research suggests the lack of opportunities enjoyed by more affluent children means the long summer break may account for two-thirds of the attainment gap between richest and poorest kids by the age of 14.
Professor Nicolas Watson, of the university’s Institute of Health of Wellbeing, said: “The long summer holidays can offer children the chance to have new experiences, opportunities to play, relax, create memories and develop essential social skills. While this is true for many children, for some the school holidays are a stressful and impoverished period of isolation, boredom and inactivity.”
Watson is calling for a system of social protection to negate the impact of poverty during the summer holidays.
This could be in the form of centres where children can take part in enriching activities in a safe environment with good quality childcare and where they are also fed.
He added: “These children need help immediately.”