Anne Longfield has spoken out as the government is emphasising their Healthy Start scheme for those in low-income families. Helping them out with food shopping and groceries to encourage healthy eating among families, especially children, but not many people know about it.
Most people avoid the fruit and vegetable section due to the inflated prices amid the cost of living crisis. A Healthy Start can help you with that. The NHS believes that the start of a child’s life is when they should be the most healthy, to encourage healthy eating in the future.
Leeds City Council stated that approximately 3000 families in Leeds are currently missing out on this free, healthy food scheme.
Ms. Longfield, former children’s commissioner for the UK, from Otley, West Yorkshire, said: ‘This scheme is absolutely crucial, as there is a substantial link between ill health and poverty’.
She continues: ‘This, combined with the 1 in 3 children that grow up without enough money for nutrition, which fuels brain development, is worrying. More needs to be done, and I hope the government is committed to this scheme and expands on it as vital nutritious food is available for everyone on the supermarket shelves’.
A mother of a three-day-old baby, who asked to remain anonymous, said: ‘Once I’d given birth, they gave me this leaflet with the Healthy Start information for children between 0 and 5, typically given to parents who don’t earn over £18,000, and it really does help with grocery shopping. £17 a day can make a real difference, and I think there should be more schemes like this available’.
The government has asked you to check if you’re eligible for this voucher scheme. You must be at least ten weeks pregnant or have a child under four while claiming some form of benefit, and then you will be issued a prepaid card that is topped up monthly to help you buy fresh fruit and vegetables for your child or cow’s milk infant formula for your infant.