Feeding hungry children
Yesterday the national free school meals voucher scheme opened to orders, allowing schools to purchase eGift cards for families to use at their choice of supermarkets, helping to support disadvantaged families through the coronavirus pandemic.
- With schools having to close, it is vital that we ensure disadvantaged children can continue to receive the nutritious meals they were used to receiving at school.
- The government is funding a national voucher scheme, allowing schools to place orders for supermarket gift cards for children who are eligible for free school meals. Schools will be able to send codes via email or gift cards in the post for vouchers worth £15 a week per child to eligible families. This gives schools another option for providing support, but they can also continue providing locally-arranged solutions or nutritionally balanced lunch parcels if this is preferred by the family.
- Over the February half term, families will receive support from the £170 million COVID Winter Food fund, just as they did over Christmas, ensuring that the most vulnerable in society are supported at this time.
Comments