Marcus Rashford letter

Yes you are right Suziewoozie. I looked up the scheme for my area last Friday and almost fell off my chair when I saw who was offering the scheme and could not believe it. Can you imagine turning up at the place with the sign pointing "Free School Meals" The voucher system was the best and very discreet.

I have a daughter that is single parent and has three children. The two fathers are useless. I have taken food shopping into her home for years so I know my GC have food in the home as well as that I contribute to school uniform and shoes. The benefits she gets whilst helping her do not cover half the stuff her children need.

I would not even allow my GC to go to the scheme in my area and every mother who is struggling to feed their children has my sympathy.

suziewoozie I'm not going to complain about that. We won't all agree all the time. I don't know much about the background to this, so I'll go and Google it.

I have posted this elsewhere but this initiative began before the FSM decision. Worth a look if you want/ able to offer help or might be in need of a meal yourself.

freemymeal.co.uk/

Alegrias2

3nanny6 Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic, remember that, you never recover. And you say these are ex-drug users, so its not like they'll be shooting up in the public bar.

Its up to any individual whether they patronise these places or not of course, but I say, good on them for trying to support the people society usually side-lines.

For once I don’t agree with you - yes it’s lovely the centre wanted to help but I think they should have found an alternative means of distribution.

Meanwhile, headteachers received a letter on Thursday from Children's Minister, Vicky Ford, reminding them about nutritional standards:

“The vast majority of children are in school and we understand schools may be finding it hard at this time to provide children with their usual hot meal at lunchtime especially given the need to minimise contact between bubbles.

“Furthermore, higher numbers of parents may also be sending their children in with a packed lunch.

“Schools have flexibility within the School Food Standards around which products/foods they serve across the school week. There is no legal requirement that meals should be hot, however we do encourage this and ask all schools to routinely be offering a varied hot meal option to pupils.

“It is much harder to comply with the School Food Standards through the provision of cold food alone. I would urge you all to work closely with your caterers to make every effort to ensure children are receiving a healthy and nutritious hot meal at school.”

3nanny6 Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic, remember that, you never recover. And you say these are ex-drug users, so its not like they'll be shooting up in the public bar.

Its up to any individual whether they patronise these places or not of course, but I say, good on them for trying to support the people society usually side-lines.

3nanny6

I have been most interested in what MR has been doing and think he is a wonderful young man and has put a lot into campaigning for these school meals such an important project for him to speak up about so well done.

One thing I am not happy with is that I looked up if anywhere has taken onboard this scheme and are offering these school meals in the holidays in my local area.
I found one place that has sent an advert out for childrens free meals in the holidays.
It is the same place that is open and offers meals to local alcoholics and ex drug abusers for free.
I am a grand-mother so have no use for these places but if I was a mother and had children there is no way I would take them any where near that place and if I was desperate I would sooner beg on the streets or salvage leftovers outside some restaurant than take my children into a place of alcoholics and ex drug users it's a disgrace.

I heard about this on R4 today and my first thought was what on Earth? That’s why the vouchers are the best solution - early teething troubles in the summer were cleared up and they could be used easily in all (?) major supermarkets. I hate the idea of children and parents having to turn up anywhere and have to actually ask for the food- at the SM it’s discreet and anonymous.

I have been most interested in what MR has been doing and think he is a wonderful young man and has put a lot into campaigning for these school meals such an important project for him to speak up about so well done.

One thing I am not happy with is that I looked up if anywhere has taken onboard this scheme and are offering these school meals in the holidays in my local area.
I found one place that has sent an advert out for childrens free meals in the holidays.
It is the same place that is open and offers meals to local alcoholics and ex drug abusers for free.
I am a grand-mother so have no use for these places but if I was a mother and had children there is no way I would take them any where near that place and if I was desperate I would sooner beg on the streets or salvage leftovers outside some restaurant than take my children into a place of alcoholics and ex drug users it's a disgrace.

Marcus Rashford is an exceptional young man,he has experienced hunger when he was a child so he knows first hand what children of today are going through.Well done for all he has done and shame on the government.

We ran a Home Start programme from the Children Centre attached to the school I worked at. It meant we, in school, could build up a relationships with families before children started school and they were helped with parenting, financial management etc.
Then it was closed, then it was reopened and then it closed again... our more vulnerable families found it much harder to access support and so we could not break some of poverty cycles we were beginning to do.

Home start was a well conceived and valuable asset, and it’s a shame on the government which caused them to close this valuable support.

Basically, Tories kick away someone’s crutches and then blame them for falling over.

Exactly PECS, none of us immune to life's catastrophes. It's worse now than in the early days of my life as a volunteer, then employee.
Benefits are less in real terms, no one now gets emergency payments (its loans) and no one gets clothing grants. That used to help parents buy new school uniform.
As for the closure of family centres, I could scream or weep. The preventive work, the parenting skills groups, the support offered to children and parents has gone. Meanwhile, the number of children going into care escalates.

They have really underestimated public opinion on this.

Iam64 I am familiar with that scenario. As a teacher in inner London, in the 70s it was the same then with hungry kids...but then we had brilliant (subsidised) school lunches cooked on the premises from scratch. Good wholesome food.

When I retired as a HT 40 years on we still had families struggling to feed their kids... yes some were not wise in their choices but many were loving couples, working hard when a disaster struck..redundancy, accident, illness, divorce etc. None of us are immune to life's catastrophes!

Exactly suzie. A year or so ago, my daughter wanted to do a class in parentcraft. GS was being a real handful and she sensibly thought, contact the health visitor and see what is available. The answer: nothing. The nearest place offering anything was over 200 miles away.

And then the (im)moral majority bang on about bad parenting. How DO people learn to be better if when they need support and are responsible enough to acknowledge it, there IS no help?

I don't know why Bozo just doesn't admit defeat on this matter - the government is getting further into deep doo doo as each day goes by!

porkies

Of course there is a discussion to be had about parental responsibility per se and then vis-a-vis the role of the state. This is a huge multi faceted topic and whatever ones views, the pandemic has impacted the situation. We are faced atm with an ‘unprecedented’ situation that needs a short term solution and vouchers for the holidays for children in receipt of FSM is an easy win - both politically and in policy terms. Eligibility is established with no further need to form fill/ means test.
As for the money given to las - others have already explained why this is inadequate in addition to which, the number of children in receipt of FSM is increasing and will continue to do so.
Finally, of course there is a need to offer parents who are struggling in various ways other types of support in addition to financial. I remember 10 years ago going to a local Sure Start centre with dd and dgs1 where the baby weighing clinic was held. Whilst waiting I looked at the various notices -parentcraft classes, Mother and toddler sessions, cooking on a budget classes, feeding your family nutritional guidance. You don’t need me to tell you what happened to that sure start centre and who was responsible

My daughter, a primary School teacher had a six year old arrive late, sobbing. Miss miss I've missed breakfast club and I'm hungry. He'd had nothing to eat since school dinner the day before. Miss gave him a cuddle and a banana from her bag. Noooo Miss I can't eat your banana, then you'll be hungry.
Go on, tell me that isn't a true story, or that his parents were hopeless. Tell me he doesn't need a dinner when he's on school holidays.
He is one amongst so many little children. Shame on this government

Silly Marcus Rashford. He should have chosen a better father, don’t you think?

Yes, of course fathers should step up to their responsibilities, but imo, that’s a different topic to whether children need feeding right here and now.

Regarding the extra funding councils have received, the money doesn’t go far. My dd works for a LA proving services to schools. She had spent her entire year’s budget by the end of April, trying to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on ‘her’ children.

It costs £20,000 to kit out one senior school with sanitisers plus ongoing running costs. Multiply that by the number of schools and add in all the other measures that are required and of course councils are hard up for cash!

The cost of providing FSM for these children is miniscule when set against all the other costs of the pandemic, but the reward will be vast.

No need for an argument GagaJo.
Disappearing dads is a fact. In some households.

Suziewoozie, I was sitting here thinking exactly what you said, and trying to decide if I could be bothered to start an argument about it.

Far too many assumptions are made. About the cause of poverty. About the 'undeserving poor'. About race and ethnicity. About family make up.

As someone said on here earlier, plenty of women on here who were financially dependent on a man casting judgement on single mothers, the poor et al.

There but for the grace of god...

Apologies for similar posts, I appear to have internet problems.

If you are willing to do the deed and sow your seed you should be willing to share in the raising of the resulting infant, regardless of race, religion or income bracket.

Some local authorities are using the extra funding received from central government to help disadvantaged families. I would like to know why all are not utilising these funds for the purpose they were given?

Unfortunately some sperm donors (I cannot call them Fathers as they have no input into their children’s lives) really do need to take responsibility for children they have sired, regardless of race, religion or income.