Coronavirus daily update: Tuesday 16 June
Fiona Simpson
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
The government has backed down over plans to scrap free school meals over the summer holidays after footballer Marcus Rashford campaigned for a U-turn on the decision.
-
Each day, CYP Now will summarise the key issues affecting the children and families sector as it tackles the effects of the pandemic. The daily update signposts children’s services practitioners and leaders to the latest developments, expert views, advice and resources.
Government U-turn over free school meals
The government has backed down over plans to scrap free school meals over the summer holidays.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister has confirmed that a £120m "Covid summer food fund" will be set up to help feed children over the holidays after widely backed calls from England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.
Rashford shared a heartfelt open letter to MPs on the issue on Monday calling for meals to be provided for eligible families.
The scheme is set to provide families with around £15 per week per child, the same amount currently provided by the free school meals voucher scheme.
Primary schools invited to welcome back more pupils
New guidance published by the Department for Education advises settings to open to more year groups “if the school has capacity”.
According to DfE data more than half of schools have opened to pupils in Reception, Year One and Year Six since 1 June.
Now, schools which have social distancing measures in place can open to other year groups with a maximum of 15 pupils in each class, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said.
Three-quarters of disabled children had care stopped in lockdown
Thousands of disabled children have had vital support and care stopped during lockdown leaving families struggling to cope, new research shows.
A report by the Disabled Children’s Partnership found that of 4,000 families asked about the impact of Covid-19 on their everyday life 76 per cent had stopped receiving support for their child or children with disabilities.
The organisation is calling on the government to recognise the plight of these children “forgotten” by ministers' response to the pandemic.
Youth unemployment doubles since March
A raft of youth organisations are calling on the government to guarantee training and employment opportunities for all young people after latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showed youth unemployment has doubled since March.
Twice as many young people (aged 16 to 24) are now claiming unemployment benefits than when lockdown restrictions were imposed in March, the Youth Employment Group said.
More than 200 youth work organisations have now written to the Prime Minister calling for more opportunities for young people.
Early intervention services ‘unable to cope’ as lockdown lifts
Early intervention services could be left “unable to cope” as lockdown measures lift, new research warns.
A new report by the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) and Action for Children, based on interviews with professionals across the children’s services sector, finds that the “knock-on effect” of the coronavirus pandemic on early help services will have a “profound” impact on families not eligible for local authority support.
