Decision details

Doncaster Council want all children to have access to a meal. Under normal circumstances, children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to a free school meal. During these exceptional times of closures due to Covid 19, children are not accessing this provision. Families accessing benefits are being accessed to check their eligibility for benefit related free school meals. However, many families affected by the
reduction of income related to Covid 19 are not entitled to benefits and the impact of additional food costs is significant. This impact remains during the school holiday period. The cost of providing a meal during the Easter holidays at 100% take up would be £161,423. An update on actual take up numbers will be known once details of the claims procedure is communicated to schools. Doncaster Council is providing a school meal delivery hamper for children on roll at special schools where there family requests it. This is due to the number of families self isolating or shielding due to their children’s vulnerability. The maximum cost would be
£13,650. Doncaster Council will provide a FSM voucher to children meeting eligibility criteria who are not yet on a school roll. This will be a maximum cost of £5,460. This currently stands at 28 children.

a) To provide financial support to schools delivering free school meals for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, commonly known as a Universal Free School Meal.
This includes the offer of a meal or equivalent value food voucher during the period of 6th – 17th April, fully funded by Doncaster Council. Subsequent to this schools will continue to receive their Universal Free School Meal funding at £2.30 per meal. Schools are requested to provide a meal or voucher to the value of their normal per meal price in accordance with need.
b) To provide a food hamper delivery school meal delivery for those children in Special schools whose parents have requested it. This is 70 children at £15 per week until the end of the academic year or until schools re-open, whichever is the soonest
c) To provide a voucher for children not on a school roll who receive eligibility benefits £15 per week until the end of the academic year or until schools re-open, whichever is the soonest.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED
The alternative is not to fund this which will put many families into hardship