

What is HAF?
Since 2018, the holiday activities and food programme has provided support to children in receipt of free school meals through holiday periods.
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Following successful pilots between 2018 and 2020, the programme was rolled out to all upper tier local authorities in 2021.
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Research has shown that the school holidays can be pressure points for some families. For some children this can lead to a holiday experience gap, with children from low-income households being:
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less likely to access organised out-of-school activities
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more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health
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more likely to experience social isolation
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Our HAF programme is a response to this issue, with evidence showing that free holiday clubs can have a positive impact on children and young people, and that they work best when they:
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provide consistent and easily accessible enrichment activities
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cover more than just breakfast or lunch
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involve children (and parents) in food preparation
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use local partnerships and connections, particularly with the voluntary and community organisation sector
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