Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the additional cost to the public purse of expanding the automatic eligibility criteria for the Holiday Activities and Food programme to include all care-experienced children, including those who are (a) looked after, (b) in kinship care arrangements and (c) adopted.

The government recognises that care-experienced children, including children who are looked after, living in kinship care or adopted, can face additional challenges.

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, backed by over £600 million of funding for the next three years, provides free nutritious meals, enriching activities, and safe environments to eligible children during the school holidays. The programme is focussed on ensuring support for families facing the greatest levels of disadvantage and therefore is targeted primarily at children eligible for free school meals from households receiving Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less (‘targeted FSM’).

However, local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised places to children who do not meet these criteria, but who could benefit from HAF, including care-experienced children.

HAF is a set budget programme, therefore expanding eligibility would not increase cost.

The government is also strengthening support for care-experienced children through wider reforms, including enhanced support for children in kinship care, extension of the Virtual School Head role and investment in kinship care support.