Quarter of parents fear they can't afford to feed their child

One in four London parents worry about being able to afford to feed their children, according to a study
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Anna Davis @_annadavis30 November 2017

One in four London parents worry about being able to afford to feed their children, figures reveal today.

The true extent of food insecurity in the capital is highlighted in the survey of mothers and fathers of youngsters under the age of 18.

Almost one in 10 parents said they wish they could give their children more food, while almost one in five have to choose between heating their homes or feeding their family.

And 14 per cent of parents have to rely on charities and food banks to feed their families.

The research, commissioned by Kellogg’s to mark the launch of the Standard’s Help A Hungry Child campaign, also found that parents are struggling to provide healthy food for their children.

A third said they cannot afford to give their children food that they know would be healthier for them. Just eight per cent said they manage to provide a healthy balanced diet for their family every day.

Hilary Croft, chief executive of The Felix Project, which delivers food that would otherwise go to waste to good causes, said: “It’s shocking that so many children are going hungry because their parents are struggling to put food on the table.

“Hungry children are held back in their development — they don’t do as well at school as well-fed peers and are more likely to get into trouble. This Kellogg’s research endorses The Felix Project’s mission to counter food poverty by addressing food waste.”

The Felix Project helps struggling families get access to high-quality, nutritious food by delivering surplus food to organisations that share it with those in need.

This year funds raised by the Standard, The Independent and London Live Christmas Appeal will go to The Felix Project to aid a new programme in primary schools.

It will channel food directly to those children and their families in the greatest need by setting up market stalls. At the end of the day, children will be able to fill a Felix bag with free healthy food to take home and cook.

The aim is to ensure no child in a primary school supported by The Felix Project goes to bed hungry. Oli Morton, managing director of Kellogg’s UK and Ireland, said: “It’s worrying that many parents across London are struggling to feed their families.

“These findings are another reminder that more must be done to help families living in hunger or with the fear of going without food, not just in London but across the UK. At Kellogg’s we have longstanding history of supporting initiatives driven to tackling food insecurity and hunger.”

For the research, 924 London parents of children aged 18 or under were surveyed this month by YouGov.

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