I popped into one of the Holiday Activities and Food program running this summer in many Chelmsford schools. The HAF gives children access to exciting activities over the holidays as well as a good lunch.
It’s free for vulnerable children, children with SEND and those on free school meals. Parents of other children can pay just £20 a day, which is much less than many other forms of holiday childcare. Children do not know which are payers and which are non payers so there is no stigma for those on FSM.
I rolled the program out across the country when I Children’s Minister, fulfilling a manifesto commitment to invest £1,000,000,000 in wraparound and holiday childcare. It’s one of many actions the Conservative Government has taken to help parents with the cost of living and childcare.
