The Government’s Holiday Activities with Food (HAF) programme was established as a pilot in Summer 2019. 10 local authority areas tested approaches to the provision of holiday activities with a healthy meal for children and young people eligible for Free School Meals.
HAF Pilots in 2019 and 2020 had to provide:
- 4 hours per day x 4 days per week x 4 weeks of activity during the Summer holidays
- A School Food Standard meal every day
- An hour of sport or physical activity (meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation for children and young people)
- A range of other enrichment activities including opportunities to learn new skills
- Inclusive activities for children and young people with additional needs
- Advice for parents on healthy cooking on a budget
In November 2020, Government announced the expansion of HAF for the financial year 2021/22 to all 151 top tier authorities in England. The programme has grown from 4 weeks in the Summer to a minimum of 6 weeks including 1 week at Easter; 4 weeks in the Summer; 1 week at Christmas.