Parents ‘will skip meals to feed children’

ONE in five parents will skip a meal during the summer holidays so there will be enough food for their children, a study reveals.

Research by the Trussell Trust showed two out of five parents worried about extra costs of childcare during the school break.

A survey of almost 1,000 parents showed those aged between 25 and 34 were most concerned and were more likely to miss a meal themselves to ensure their children could eat.

The trust estimated 1.5 million people could skip a meal in the coming weeks.

The trust, which runs hundreds of food banks across the country, is launching a national programme of holiday clubs, offering activities and food to parents and children.

Adrian Curtis, food bank network director of the Trussell Trust, said: “Families who rely on free school meals during term time can find themselves facing hunger in the school holidays, when there is extra financial pressure to provide main meals.

“No-one knows the full scale of hunger in the school holidays yet, but these figures make one thing clear: many families are closer to crisis than we think.

“Our summer pilot of holiday clubs is a crucial step in broadening the support offered by food banks in the holidays.

“But food banks alone will not end hunger during the school holidays; a long-term coordinated solution between government, businesses, schools and charities will have the most impact.”

The trust’s food banks provided more than 1.1 million three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis in the last year.