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Addressing Food Poverty in Children the role of Breakfast Clubs - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Addressing Food Poverty in Children the role of Breakfast Clubs - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Addressing Food Poverty in Children the role of Breakfast Clubs Sarah Jane Flaherty Healthy Food for All IPH Conference 8 th October 2013 What is Healthy Food for All? HFfA is an all-island charity seeking to combat food poverty by
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What is Food Poverty?
“Inability to have an adequate and nutritious diet due to issues of the affordability of and access to food” (Dowler, 1998)
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Food Poverty in Ireland
- One in ten people in Ireland are living in food poverty1
– Increases to one in five (23%) if head of household is unemployed or is a lone parent1
- One in five children (21%) go to school or bed hungry as
there is not enough food in the home2
- 13% of school children never eat breakfast on a weekday2
- 1. Carney C and Maître B, (2012) Constructing a Food Poverty Indicator for Ireland using the Survey on Income and Living
Conditions, Technical Paper No. 3, Dept. of Social Protection (2012)
- 2. Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Survey (2012)
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Why Breakfast Clubs?
- Nutritious breakfast has positive impact on
nutritional intake
- Linked with improved attendance rates
and punctuality
- Improves cognition, memory, and
concentration in class
- Develops social eating habits
- Opportunity to talk with someone in
confidence before school
- Opportunity to engage with families on an
informal basis
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- Planning your Breakfast Club
- Funding Your Breakfast Club
- Getting Started
- Running your Breakfast Club
- Developing a Healthy School
Food Policy
- Breakfast Club Activities
- Evaluation
- Different models of breakfast
clubs
- Case studies from across
Ireland
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Pilot Programme of Breakfast Clubs
- Four Primary School in North Dublin
– St Catherine’s Infant School, Cabra – St Eithne’s Girls School, Edenmore – Holy Trinity NS, Donaghmede – Holywell ETNS, Swords
- January 2013 – June 2014
- Grants of €5,000
- Funded by Kellogg’s Corporate Citizenship Fund
- Direct advice from HFfA based on experience
- Training workshop
- Networking meeting each term
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Evaluation of Pilot Programme
What information are we gathering?
- What are the benefits of setting up a
breakfast club in each school?
- What are the challenges of setting up a
breakfast club? What supports needed?
- What is the cost of setting up a club?
- Explore self-evaluation methods
Who are we talking to?
- Breakfast Club Co-ordinators
- Breakfast Club Staff
- Teachers
- Parents
- Children
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Learning so far: Benefits
“Breakfast club has made a huge difference to the school and pupils, it is a great initiative.” (Teacher) “English levels of migrant children have improved as it is an extra opportunity to practice. Teachers have noticed that certain children are more confident when speaking as a result.” (Breakfast Club Co-ordinator) “ ‘John’ has been visibly happier since going to the breakfast club.” (Teacher) “Children are more alert and focused in the classroom” (Teacher)
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Learning so far: Challenges
- Time Commitment
- Staff for the Club
- Engaging Volunteers
- Funding
- Food
Are there differences between DEIS & Non-DEIS schools?
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What’s Next?
- Work with each school to develop a sustainable action plan
- Identify suitable funding streams for schools
- Build on local (& national) partnerships to support clubs
- Work with each school to engage volunteers
- Continue to share the learning through regular meetings
- Explore impact of clubs on parents, teachers, and children
- Final Report available next Autumn
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