Children and teens need support all year round. But right now, with every school holiday, teenagers are being forgotten and many children are losing access to support when they need it most.
Which is why The Children's Society have launched a campaign - Here for the Holidays - calling on the Government to expand support provided to children and teens who need it most when term ends.
The facts speak for themselves:
- Years of government cuts have decimated the number of youth centres and access to safe spaces and activities
- Eligibility for free school meals ends with the end of term - leaving around 1.3 million children going hungry.
No wonder research carried out by The Children's Society showed that:
- 57% of parents say school holidays are financially stressful
- 41% of parents don’t feel confident they can afford the next school holiday
- while for parents on income-related benefits, 77% are worried about the cost of their child’s food, and 86% are worried about the cost of activities for their child during the holidays.
Help support the call for change
There are lots of ways you can support this campaign from The Children's Society:
- Sign and share the petition
- Talk to your neighbours, friends and community – every conversation counts
- Meet with your MP – The Children’s Society campaigns team can support you here
- Download, print and display this poster promoting Here For The Holidays.
- Find out more at: childrenssociety.org.uk/HereForTheHolidays