• Parents need both financial and practical support to help their children with their early learning and development, reveals analysis
• Anxiety and stress caused by trying to keep homes warm or worrying about the next meal means parents don’t have time to play with their children.
• As latest figures show nearly 1 in 4 children are living in poverty in Wales, the charity calls for simplified systems to allow families to access all support available to them.

New research published today by Save the Children Cymru reveals how providing parents with financial and practical support can remove some of the pressures caused by the cost of living crisis, leaving them in a better frame of mind to spend time playing with their children.

Children do best when they have a happy home environment and when parents engage with them. But that isn’t always easy when parents are struggling to afford the next meal, trying to keep their homes warm or do not know where to turn for help.

A staggering 85% of parents who took part in the Pause to Play project were unable to afford three or more of seven basic family necessities such as household bills, food, clothing, or inviting their child’s friend over for a play. Families were also struggling with their physical and mental health, the cost of essentials, and housing.

Each family was supported with a £400 grant and were provided with either one to one support or group work delivered in partnership with Cardiff Council Parenting, Home Start Cymru, Action in Caerau and Ely (ACE) and OASIS Cardiff.

Parents reported that they spent the grant mainly in supermarkets that provided a choice of food, warm winter clothing and school uniforms for their children. Some parents also used it to cover the cost of Christmas presents or to buy a table for play activities or children’s bedding. Themed play sessions as part of the Pause to Play project delivered by partners also inspired ideas for low-cost activities that families can do together at home.

Siân*,  a single parent with one child and who works as a healthcare assistant, described how the combined impact of her financial difficulties, crippling childcare costs and the feeling of isolation after the pandemic felt like “hitting a brick wall.”

“When I had to use the food bank for the first time, I was crying my eyes out because I was so embarrassed. I’ve always been independent, bought my own house. It just knocked my pride big time, it really affected me. I’ve worked hard! And I have to go to a food bank!”

Arman*, dad of two young children, and asylum seeker described how living on £38 a week had an impact on his mental health. “It's very hard when you you're not allowed to work and you don't have any income. You cannot buy the food that the children want which leads to depression and anxiety.”

Another mum said how “anxiety makes you snap at your children - you just don’t have the patience to sit down and play with them.”

The findings of the report into the impact of the support show that stress levels were significantly reduced by the end of the project. Parents reported that they play more with their children and feel more confident in being able to support them with their early learning and development.

Mya*, a young mum to two children aged four and two feels more confident playing with her children after taking part in Pause to Play. “It’s quite amusing seeing where her mind goes and what she would do with the things she was playing with […] She’d make her own little game out of it and I would be like, that’s really funny. And then I’d go along with it and see how she would react.” 

Due to the practical support provided either at home or during group activities, parents also reported being more aware of the community based services available to help them with their children’s play and early learning. They were also more likely to access these as well as public sector support in the future.

Melanie Simmonds, head of Save the Children Cymru said: “Statistics released by the UK Government last week show that nearly one in four (around 160,000) children were living in poverty in Wales last year. These grim figures coupled with inflation rising to 10.4%, as the price of children’s clothes and food continue to soar, prove families are still very much in the depths of a crisis.

“There is no reason why children should have to go hungry or do without clothing, heating, days out, or basic school supplies. Growing up in poverty means growing up too fast – with children exposed to concerns about money and bills. This can leave lasting scars.

“The information we have gathered from the Pause to Play project proves that families need both financial and practical support to help their children thrive. To allow this we need to simplify the systems around families to ensure that they able to claim all financial support that they are entitled to from the UK and Welsh Government and so that they can access the right support from the right professionals at the right time.”

Rhian Smith, Locality Manager from partner organisation Home-Start Cymru added:

“As a charity that supports families emotionally and practically, we’ve seen first-hand the impact that the cost of living has had on the family environment. Being able to offer families financial support at times of high stress has been such a valuable addition to our support for them. It has provided much-needed relief and alleviation of their stress and anxiety to access basic necessities such as food and clothing. One family we supported said that it gave them the much-needed time to focus on the needs of their youngest child.”

A copy of the report can be found here

*names changed to protect identity

 

CYMRAEG

Gall cael gwared ar straen ariannol helpu rhieni i chwarae gyda’u plant, yn ôl ymchwil Achub y Plant Cymru

• Dengys dadansoddiad bod angen cymorth ariannol ac ymarferol ar rieni i helpu eu plant gyda'u dysgu a'u datblygiad cynnar.
• Mae pryder a straen a achosir wrth i rieni geisio cadw cartrefi’n gynnes neu boeni am y pryd nesaf o fwyd yn golygu nad oes ganddynt amser i chwarae gyda’u plant.
• Yn dilyn cyhoeddi’r ffigurau diweddaraf oedd yn dangos fod bron i 1 o bob 4 o blant yn byw mewn tlodi yng Nghymru, mae’r elusen yn galw am systemau symlach i alluogi teuluoedd i gael mynediad at yr holl gymorth sydd ar gael iddynt.

Mae ymchwil newydd a gyhoeddir heddiw yn archwilio sut y gall darparu cymorth ariannol ac ymarferol i rieni helpu i ddiwallu rhywfaint ar y straen a achosir gan yr argyfwng costau byw, gan eu gadael mewn gwell hwyliau i dreulio amser yn chwarae gyda’u plant.

Mae plant ar eu gorau pan fydd ganddynt amgylchedd cartref hapus a phan fydd rhieni yn ymgysylltu â nhw. Ond nid yw hynny bob amser yn rhwydd nac yn bosib pan fo rhieni’n poeni o ble y daw’r pryd nesaf o fwyd, yn ceisio cadw eu cartrefi’n gynnes neu ddim yn gwybod ble i droi am gymorth.

Cafodd y prosiect ‘Hoe am Hwyl’ ei gydlynu gan Achub y Plant Cymru mewn partneriaeth â Rhianta Cyngor Caerdydd, Home Start Cymru, Gweithredu yng Nghaerau a Threlái (ACE) ac OASIS Caerdydd. Dechreuodd ym mis Chwefror 2022 a pharhaodd dros gyfnod o flwyddyn drwy adeg pan oedd teuluoedd yn teimlo gwasgfa costau byw cynyddol ac yn dal i deimlo effeithiau’r pandemig.

Nid oedd 85% o’r rhieni a gymerodd ran yn gallu fforddio tri neu fwy o saith o anghenion teuluol sylfaenol megis biliau’r cartref, bwyd, dillad, neu wahodd ffrind eu plentyn draw i chwarae. Roedd teuluoedd hefyd yn cael trafferth gyda'u hiechyd corfforol a meddyliol, cost hanfodion, a chostau cynnal tŷ.

Disgrifiodd Siân*, rhiant sengl i un plentyn ac sy’n gweithio fel cynorthwyydd gofal iechyd, sut roedd effaith gyfunol ei thrafferthion ariannol, costau gofal plant uchel a’r teimlad o unigedd ar ôl y pandemig yn teimlo fel. “taro wal frics.”

“Pan fu’n rhaid i mi ddefnyddio’r banc bwyd am y tro cyntaf, roeddwn i yn fy nagrau oherwydd bod gen i gymaint o embaras. Rydw i bob amser wedi bod yn annibynnol, wedi prynu fy nhŷ fy hun. Fe wnaeth e fy mwrw oddi ar fy echel a chael effaith fawr arna i. Dw i wedi gweithio'n galed! Ac mae'n rhaid i mi fynd i fanc bwyd!"

Disgrifiodd Arman*, ceisiwr lloches a thad i ddau o blant ifanc, sut mae byw ar £38 yr wythnos wedi cael effaith ar ei iechyd meddwl. “Mae'n anodd iawn pan nad ydych chi'n cael gweithio ac nad oes gennych chi unrhyw incwm. Allwch chi ddim prynu’r bwyd y mae’r plant ei eisiau sy’n arwain at iselder a phryder.”

Dywedodd mam arall sut “mae gorbryder yn gwneud i chi fod yn swta gyda’ch plant – does gennych chi ddim yr amynedd i eistedd i lawr a chwarae gyda nhw.”

Dywedodd rhieni eu bod wedi gwario'r grant o £400 yn bennaf mewn archfarchnadoedd sy'n darparu dewis o fwyd, dillad gaeaf cynnes a gwisg ysgol i'w plant. Roedd rhai rhieni hefyd yn ei ddefnyddio i dalu am anrhegion Nadolig neu i brynu bwrdd ar gyfer gweithgareddau chwarae neu ddillad gwely plant. Roedd sesiynau chwarae thematig a gyflwynwyd gan bartneriaid fel rhan o’r prosiect Hoe am Hwyl hefyd wedi ysbrydoli syniadau ar gyfer gweithgareddau cost isel y gall teuluoedd eu gwneud gyda’i gilydd gartref.

Mae canfyddiadau’r adroddiad yn dangos bod lefelau straen wedi gostwng yn sylweddol erbyn diwedd y prosiect gyda rhieni’n adrodd eu bod yn chwarae mwy gyda’u plant ac yn teimlo’n fwy hyderus i allu eu cefnogi gyda’u dysgu a’u datblygiad cynnar.

Mae Mya*, mam ifanc i ddau o blant pedair a dwy oed, yn teimlo'n fwy hyderus yn chwarae gyda'i phlant ar ôl cymryd rhan yn ‘Hoe am Hwyl’. “Mae’n eithaf doniol gweld lle mae ei meddwl yn mynd a beth fyddai’n ei wneud gyda’r pethau roedd hi’n chwarae gyda nhw […] Byddai’n creu ei gêm fach ei hun allan o’r pethau a byddwn i yn ymuno i mewn ac yn gweld sut y byddai hi'n ymateb."

Oherwydd y cymorth ymarferol a ddarparwyd naill ai gartref neu yn ystod gweithgareddau grŵp, dywedodd rhieni hefyd eu bod yn fwy ymwybodol o’r gwasanaethau yn y gymuned sydd ar gael i’w helpu gyda chwarae a dysgu cynnar eu plant. Roeddent hefyd yn fwy tebygol o gael mynediad at y rhain yn ogystal â chymorth y sector cyhoeddus yn y dyfodol.

Dywedodd Melanie Simmonds, pennaeth Achub y Plant Cymru: “Mae ystadegau a ryddhawyd gan Lywodraeth y DU yr wythnos ddiwethaf yn dangos bod bron i un o bob pedwar (tua 160,000) o blant yn byw mewn tlodi yng Nghymru y llynedd. Mae’r ffigurau yma ynghyd â chwyddiant yn codi i 10.4%, wrth i bris dillad a bwyd plant barhau i godi, yn profi bod teuluoedd yn dal i fod yn nyfnder argyfwng.

“Nid oes unrhyw reswm pam y dylai plant orfod mynd yn llwglyd neu wneud heb ddillad, gwres, diwrnodau allan, neu gyflenwadau ysgol sylfaenol. Mae tyfu i fyny mewn tlodi yn golygu tyfu i fyny yn rhy gyflym – gyda phlant yn agored i bryderon am arian a biliau. Gall hyn adael creithiau parhaol.

“Mae’r wybodaeth sydd wedi dod i law o’r prosiect Hoe am Hwyl yn profi bod angen y ddeubeth - cymorth ariannol ac ymarferol - ar deuluoedd i allu helpu eu plant i ffynnu. Er mwyn caniatáu hyn mae angen i ni symleiddio’r systemau i sicrhau y gall teuluoedd hawlio’r holl gymorth ariannol sydd ar gael iddynt gan Lywodraeth y DU a Llywodraeth Cymru ac fel y gallant gael mynediad at y cymorth cywir gan y gweithwyr proffesiynol cywir ar yr adeg gywir. ”

Ychwanegodd Rhian Smith, Rheolwr Ardal o sefydliad partner Home-Start Cymru:

“Fel elusen sy’n cefnogi teuluoedd yn emosiynol ac yn ymarferol, rydym wedi gweld drosom ein hunain yr effaith y mae costau byw yn codi wedi ei gael ar yr amgylchedd teuluol. Mae gallu cynnig cymorth ariannol ar adegau o straen mawr wedi ein galluogi ni i ymestyn ein cefnogaeth i deuluoedd. Mae wedi helpu i leddfu eu straen a'u pryder wrth geisio cael gafael ar bethau sylfaenol fel bwyd a dillad. Dywedodd un teulu a gefnogwyd gennym fod cymryd rhan yn y prosiect wedi eu galluogi i dreulio’r amser yr oedd ei angen arnynt i allu canolbwyntio ar anghenion eu plentyn ieuengaf.”

Mae copi o'r adroddiad i'w gael yma

*newidwyd yr enwau i ddiogelu hunaniaeth