To think that funding free breakfast clubs is wrong-headed?

YANBU, this is not about funding breakfast for families who cannot afford it. I usually feed my daughter Sainsbury’s brand version of weetabix (“wheat biscuits” £2.79 for 48) with milk (£1.45 for 4 litres). I’ve just calculated it costs me 13.7p per meal. I’m sure I could find cheaper cereal or milk if I compared brands and shops etc if necessary to get it down even more. The vast majority of families can afford a normal breakfast. If children are not eating breakfast, it’s not because their families cannot afford it.

Families are struggling to care for their children properly because of a number of factors, not because they can’t afford to spend a few pence on breakfast cereal. I agree resources would be better spent supporting children and families in other ways.

How are we going to have free childcare for shift/night workers. e.g NHS care homes.

Night workers are never thought of and just have to cope.

I don't think anyone's arguing that those children shouldn't benefit, though. My opinion was that I'd rather one of those children had a bigger and better breakfast rather than every child had a slice of toast, whether they'd eaten before they left home or not.

It's not about the breakfast, although it's an element.

It's the governement giving free childcare so that parents can have jobs/more employment options.

We need to stop demonising free childcare in this country. We have the most expensive childcare in all of Europe, parents are paying for it out of pocket, and being a parent takes a huge financial toll on people other than the very wealthy.

You see parents unable to stay in employment because there is no access to childcare or if there is, they cannot afford it. Skilled people constantly dropping out of the workforce, falling behind in life and relying on benefits to get by.

We need to stop normalising asking people to 'spend 2K a month on childcare or else'. If you don't want your child to go to breakfast club, nobody is making it compulsory, but it can make the difference for a single mum to be able to continue working and paying taxes or not.

Considering the low cost and the impact on putting parents into a position of being able to earn money for a living, the policy surely pays or itself.

"Percentage of income spent on childcare costs" graph provided for your convenience, source here: https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/03/06/childcare-puzzle-which-countries-in-europe-have-the-highest-and-lowest-childcare-costs

I think the 'not poverty' point is more indicating at the suggestion that if the issue isn't cost, then a breakfast club won't fix it.

The idea in principle is brilliant. I just struggle to see how it can work in practice in terms of the actual logistics of running a breakfast club for the whole school (staffing, organising, buying and preparing the food and clearing up after the children in one half-hour slot at the start of the school day etc etc) and that's before you factor in the issues of whether some parents would manage to get their children in to school in time for breakfast club anyway.

I would actually rather see an extension of what our school offers - staff members have access to a stock of easy breakfast items (cereal bars etc) which can be given out discreetly to any children who come in to school hungry for whatever reason. So the option of some breakfast food is always there for those in genuine need whilst not wasting funding on the ones who get breakfast at home and don't need it.

The children with neglectful parents are the children who could really do with a free breakfast. However, neglectful parents aren't likely to get up half hour earlier to get the children to school for the breakfast. I do agree it's a waste.

In my experience, there is stigma for the families. You'd be surprised by how any don't want the school to know how desperate the situation is at home.

@Mymanyellow

But that’s not poverty that’s bad parenting.

So, as a society, we're better for leaving that child to bear the consequences?

It would be better if they allowed parents to pay e.g 50p or £1 as a voluntary contribution towards it.

I think we will all remember kids who weren't nutured like they should be and having some milk and cereal could turn out to be the one healthy meal they have all day.

I believe this . My best friend's nephew was eligible for free school meals but he and his mother didn't take them because they felt a stigma. But I get there are costs etc to think about. Tricky.

I think its a great idea but I also think all children should receive free lunch in primary also. There are many things tax payer money goes to that is pointless, I'd rather money going to all children in those important early years.

@Scrubberdubber My point was shy should EVERY Londoner get it for free, imagine someone who's parents earn 100k gets free lunch because they live in London and someone who's parents earn 8k doesn't because they don't live in London. You see why I think it's bullshit?

No not really, what I think is that you don’t understand how the country operates politically.
The universal food policy in London was not a national policy and was paid by the Mayor of London. Any other local authority is free to do the same with their budget if they wanted to. Someone voting for the London Mayor has nothing to do with local policy elsewhere in the country.

My borough has stopped doing them due to budget cuts

Edit

Universal free breakfast and lunch is not as good as free uniform and food vouchers - they could roll out fruit and veg vouchers for parents in need, so many better uses of the money tbh

Children concentrate and learn at higher levels when they are not hungry. Many families can afford to give their children breakfast and do. Many who can may use the clubs because they’re very convenient if parents need to get to work.

The idea that only “poor” children should receive toast or cereal is awful. I remember the free school dinners tables at school. It was humiliating.

Exactly what I thought when free nursery hours were rolled out! How do you feel about them?

Sorry I quoted the wrong post. FrodisCapering was my target.

Not just the orphans, what about single parent kids, kids of addicts.
Oh, we will need a bigger crusher then.

People’s circumstances can and do change.

🙄

I totally agree. Why dont they just lift the two child benefit cap. I know that wont be of help to those who do only have two kids or one but it would help a lot of families to lift that cap

I am. I still don't think the answer is free breakfasts for all at primary school. I think that money could be better targeted at those children who are not being adequately fed by their parents.

It depends how it will be used. As a supportive tool to help those who are able to and looking to go back to work/increase hours then yes it's good as there is a severe lack of childcare, at least here. If however it will be used as a blunt instrument to force people into working when their situation really needs them at home (illness, disability, carer etc) then it will be awful. There are many kids with SEND who do not thrive or even cope in childcare (my DS is one of them) and these are the ones who will really suffer if they are forced into inadequate breakfast clubs under threat of their mother's universal credit being cut. I fear we will see more of scenario 2 than 1.