Parents can't afford activities for children in school holidays
Families on the lowest incomes are struggling to afford activities for their children that are crucial to their development and well-being, as they try to balance paying for bills and essential goods and not slipping into debt.
Wednesday 11 July 2007
According to the results from a new YouGov survey of low income families:
- two thirds say they cannot afford trips and visits for their children during the school holidays
- just under half said they could not afford to pay for their children to take part in sports activities during the summer
- 42% said they could not afford to take their children swimming.
The summer holidays are particularly difficult for low income families as children no longer get free school meals and parents have to prepare to meet back-to-school costs.
"Families tell us all the time how tough the summer holidays are financially. These children are missing out on basic activities that are a fundamental part of growing up and a child's development. As part of the campaign to End Child Poverty, we're calling on the new cabinet minister for children, families and schools, Ed Balls, to listen to what these families are saying and to urgently introduce seasonal grants to help them at the most difficult times of year," said Colette Marshall, UK Director of Save the Children.
The survey results are released as new Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his cabinet minister, Ed Balls, have announced that child poverty is one of their priority issues. The government has made some progress on tackling child poverty, but those in severe poverty are still missing out.
What we're doing:
Save the Children is calling for families to get seasonal grants in the summer holidays and in winter when parents need them most. If offered seasonal grants, 59% said they would use them to help meet back-to-school costs and 55% said they would help pay for activities for their children.
Seasonal grants would lift more than 400,000 children out of poverty. They would also help the government, as part of the wider investment of £4 billion needed to get back on track to meet the target of halving child poverty by 2010.
