Derby City Council is set to approve a series of proposals to support children and families in poverty across Derby throughout 2021. The report is a direct response to the Free School Meals motion passed at the Council meeting on Wednesday 25th November 2020 but goes further than the motion since the Council is committing to no child going hungry during the school holidays through the use of vouchers, whilst also utilising work with the voluntary and community sectors through the distribution of food parcels and the provision of help, guidance and tools to help families build resilience.
The proposal is in line with Derby’s Recovery Plan and follows the ethos and approach of the city’s community recovery work with the Council working alongside and with the NHS, cultural, voluntary and community sector partners in supporting and developing community and family assets, strengths and resilience. Whilst proposals in the paper relate to 2021, the newly established Poverty Commission will consider and recommend options to support families in the longer term.
Councillor Evonne Williams, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said:
The issue of child poverty is one that has rightly been in the news throughout the pandemic and we remain determined that no child should go hungry in Derby.
These proposals tackle both the short term need to ensure that children will have access to food but also builds in wider support to tackle the wider problem of child poverty whilst building on the fantastic partnerships we have built through the community sector over the past years.
More information about free school meals is available on our website. If you’re pregnant or have a child under four, you could also get Healthy Start vouchers to help buy some basic foods.