Nearly one in five parents admit their children don't always eat breakfast
Three in ten adults are currently struggling to feed their household due to financial difficulties, a study has found.
The research, of 2,000 adults, revealed 29% admit they find it difficult to ensure there is always enough food on the table – but over a quarter (26%) claim they have never asked for help.
As a result, 59% have cut back on electric and gas, while 54% have had to borrow money from friends and family, and one in ten have used a foodbank to help them get by.
The research was commissioned by Kellogg’s, which is offering schools across the UK grants of £1,000, to invest in any aspect of their breakfast clubs – including equipment, food, and learning materials.
This comes as 18% of parents who participated in the poll admit their children don’t always have breakfast. And a separate study of 745 teachers, also by the cereal maker, found 29% bring food into class each day – just in case they notice a pupil hasn’t eaten.
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Heather Murphy, Kellogg’s breakfast club manager, said: “As we enter the colder months, sadly many parents will be worrying about their heating and food bills.
“That’s why breakfast clubs are so important – they’re by no means the solution to financial struggles, but they can at least alleviate them to a small extent.”
And three in ten have had to send their youngsters to a school breakfast club - with 14% doing so every school day (Kellogg's)The study also found 70% of those who’ve struggled to keep their household fed have yet to rely on the help of others or utilise any schemes like breakfast clubs.
But of those who have sent their children to breakfast clubs, 14% do so every school day, while 32% use the scheme three to four days a week, and 36% one to two times weekly.
And more than half (55%) say their littles ones are attending them more often now than they were 12 months ago – with stretched family budgets named as the main reason for relying on such initiatives (17%).
Demanding lifestyles are also a factor – specifically, not having enough time in the morning (16%), and needing to get to work early (51%).
But another 17% of parents believe the food served at breakfast clubs is “better” than the food they’re able to provide themselves.
Further underlining the importance of these schemes, more than two-thirds (68%) said their breakfast club closing would result in them having to work less, or stop altogether.
Heather Murphy added: “We are proud to have supported thousands of breakfast clubs up and down the country for 25 years.
“They contribute vastly to improving children’s school attendance and attainment, as well as alleviating hunger in some cases. It’s not just the children that benefit – it’s a lifeline for parents, too.”
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