Leicestershire County Council has pledged £500,000 to fund free school meals for children for the rest of the academic year.
Children eligible for the scheme will receive free school meals during holidays for the rest of the school year.
The move is designed to ensure that children and young people won’t go hungry during the Christmas, half-term and Easter breaks. It is thought the scheme will benefit about 12,000 pupils across Leicestershire who are eligible for free school meals.
Leicestershire County Councillor Nick Rushton said: “Times are still tough – and we simply can’t have children going hungry during the pandemic. So we’re stepping up to plug the gap and help thousands of families who need support.”
“Our schools have already had their half-term but we’re committing funding for the rest of this school year. Not only is this the right thing to do, it underlines our commitment to providing the help and support our children and families need.”
During the pandemic, the council has also:
- Given over half-a-million-pounds of Government funding to food banks and community groups this autumn – Leicestershire’s slice of the £63m from Defra
- Launched a £1.5m fund to support communities – a hospice, a homelessness service and a charity supporting young, older and vulnerable people are just three of those awarded money
- Established a £750,000 fund supporting small businesses to get back on their feet – with around £400,000 awarded so far
- Set up a dedicated team to ensure the 25,000 people identified as ‘shielded’ by the NHS have support and care in place, if required – and delivered hundreds of emergency food parcels and prescriptions
Criteria for free school meals are set by the Government.