What is the Holiday Activity and Food Programme?

The Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF) is a government initiative that since its launch in 2018 has been providing support for children during the school holidays. It was significantly increased after the Covid pandemic and it is still running now.

What does the programme do?

The Holiday Activity and Food Programme ensures that children have healthy meals and holiday activities to enjoy during school holidays. The programme is delivered through local councils, and around £220 million is put into it every year across the UK.

Often, it is supported by private businesses too who put on special free lunches or breakfasts for children from families in need. For example, an Exeter cafe such as https://fresha.org/exeter-cafe/ has special free food offers for children during the holidays, when parents may need this.

Why does the Holiday Activity and Food Programme matter?

Families often find that school holidays are particularly expensive, because although working hours and incomes may be reduced for parents, nevertheless, children still need food. Families can find it difficult to provide enough nutritious food and enriching activities for their children at this time.

Good nutrition is essential as children grow, to ensure they develop and reach their full potential. By delivering these kinds of support programmes, families can access the nutritious food and enriching activities their children need to thrive during the holidays, taking the pressure off household budgets.

What other help is available?

Other schemes are also available at individual local levels. Many of these are supported by community groups, charities and private enterprises to ensure children are not penalised by low incomes during the holidays. For example, many supermarkets and cafes offer their own breakfast, lunch and dinner deals for families, on a ‘no questions asked’ basis, where subsidised deals are on offer.

Support for these schemes has grown rapidly since the pandemic, as the cost of living has continued to bite, and as awareness about the importance of such schemes – and the challenges faced by many families who are under financial pressure – grows.