As the current cost of living crisis begins to bite even further into family budgets, KCC has announced more targeted support for some of the most vulnerable.
Families whose children are entitled to benefits-related free school meals will be provided with food vouchers over the forthcoming school half-term holiday.
One £15 food voucher, to be used in supermarkets and some local shops, will be provided to each eligible child or young person via their school or college.
Shellina Prendergast, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “For the past 18 months we have been supporting families with children on free school meals during the various holiday periods.
“Families with limited resources face extra challenges, especially with the cost of providing more meals for their children, during the school holidays, so these vouchers really help to ease the pressure on parents and carers in this position.
“With inflation rising and the cost of living increasing rapidly, I am pleased that we are able to continue to assist some of Kent’s most vulnerable families.”
That support originally came from KCC’s Kent Together scheme while the current funding comes from KCC’s allocation from the Government’s Household Support Fund, which was launched in September to help local authorities support some of their most vulnerable households, originally to help over the winter period.
Mrs Prendergast urged all parents and carers who feel their children may be entitled to receive benefits-related Free School Meals, but who have not yet applied for them, to visit the website – https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/free-school-meals – as soon as possible so that no one misses out on this scheme.
Schools will allocate the vouchers to their pupils, as they have done during previous holiday periods, so parents and carers should direct enquiries to their child’s school.