We believe the current Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) funding system is unfair to many working families who are struggling with the financial pressures of school holidays.

Parents who work full time, pay taxes and contribute to society can receive no support whatsoever towards holiday childcare simply because their household income falls above the eligibility threshold. Yet after rent or mortgage payments, bills, food, travel and other essential living costs, many of these families are left with very little disposable income.

For many working parents, school holidays can mean paying hundreds of pounds for childcare simply to be able to continue working. Parents can find themselves working primarily to cover the cost of childcare, with very little financial benefit left over for their family.

We also believe there is an unfair disparity in the provision of food. HAF-funded children can receive free nutritious meals as part of their holiday provision, while children attending the same or similar holiday clubs whose parents are working and fall outside the eligibility criteria may not have access to the same hot meals and may instead be expected to bring their own packed lunch or pay an additional cost.

This means that two children attending holiday activities can receive different provisions purely because of their parents’ financial circumstances and whether they meet a particular benefit-based eligibility criterion.

We fully support providing additional help to children and families who need it. However, support should not come at the expense of overlooking working families who are also struggling

We are calling on the Government to:

Review and broaden the eligibility criteria for HAF funding.

Introduce a tapered system of support so that families do not lose access to assistance simply because their income rises above a fixed threshold.

Provide subsidised holiday childcare for working families on lower and middle incomes.

Ensure children from working families have equal access to nutritious hot meals at participating holiday clubs, rather than automatically losing this provision because their parents earn above the eligibility threshold.

Recognise the substantial financial burden that holiday childcare places on working households.

Full time, Working parents should not have to choose between working and being able to afford childcare.

We believe every child should have access to nutritious food and enriching activities during the school holidays, and every family who is struggling with the cost of childcare should have the opportunity to receive support — regardless of whether their parents are working or receiving benefits.

For many working parents, school holidays can mean paying hundreds or even thousands of pounds for childcare simply to be able to continue working. Parents can find themselves working primarily to cover the cost of childcare, with very little financial benefit left over for their family.

There is also concern that some HAF-funded places are not being fully utilised. There are instances where children are booked into funded holiday activities but do not attend, or where parents drop their children off and return home rather than using the available childcare to work or undertake other productive activities.

When funded places are limited, unused bookings can prevent other children and families from benefiting from them. We believe there should be greater accountability around attendance and use of HAF-funded places, alongside consideration of whether some of this funding could be extended to working families who would genuinely use the childcare to enable them to remain in employment.

We are not suggesting that families who genuinely need HAF support should lose it. Rather, we are asking the Government to ensure that publicly funded childcare places are being used effectively and fairly, while recognising the needs of working families who currently receive no equivalent support.