HAF provider FAQs

Families can experience significant pressure points during school holidays with reduced income and increased financial pressures because of the costs of food, childcare and enriching activities. Disadvantaged families are likely to experience “unhealthy holidays” in terms of nutrition and physical health along with exacerbated inequalities relating to social isolation and loneliness. Disadvantaged families are also less likely to access organised out-of-school activities during Spring, Summer and Winter.

On Sunday 8th November 2020, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced the significant expansion of the Department for Education’s HAF Programme across England. This significant extension of the HAF Programme across England will enable all second-tier Local Authorities, including Staffordshire County Council, to work together with Partners to provide free healthy meals and enriching activities to families of children in receipt of Free School Meals during Summer, Spring and Winter.

The HAF Grants Scheme primarily seeks to make free places available at holiday clubs for families of children who receive and/or are eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals aged 5-16.  The scheme will provide access to inclusive, enriching activities which also provide a free, healthy meal during the school holidays. 

We are seeking for children (and their families) to be:

• Happy and Healthy:

We want our children and young people to be resilient, happy and healthy, making choices that support wellbeing.

• Feel Safe and Belong:

We want our children and young people to feel safe in their community and at home, are safeguarded from harm and have a sense of belonging.

• Achieve and Contribute:

We want our children and young people to achieve their potential including a good education and employment, where they are supported to make positive contributions to their communities.

We believe the HAF Programme will contribute to the achievement of outcomes by:

• Supporting children and young people to be healthy over the school holidays.
• Supporting children and young people to be more active during the school holidays.
• Supporting children and young people to take part in engaging and enriching activities which support the development of resilience, character and wellbeing along with their wider educational attainment.
• Supporting children and young people to be safe.
• Seeking to prevent social isolation amongst children and young people.
• Supporting children and young people to have greater knowledge of health and nutrition.
• Support children and young people to be more engaged with school and other local services. 

No, the Department of Education have identified a primary age range of 5-16. Therefore, applications with a primary focus on under 5’s (excluding the below) and over 16’s will not be accepted.

The Targeted Programmes category is seeking to provide funding for innovative activities which are targeted at specific cohorts of children, young people and families.  Grants within this category can include the wider family, including parents and/or younger and older siblings.

Grants received under the Additional Places and New Programmes categories cannot include the wider family (including parents).  

Yes, unless further COVID-19 restriction prevents such an activity. In such a scenario, Providers would be required to provide a virtual offer where possible. 

We expect that the food will meet the school food standards, ensuring all children receive a healthy, balanced meal.  Providers are required to provide a minimum of one meal a day – this could be breakfast/lunch or tea/diner.  The food served through the Programme should be hot.  There may be exceptional circumstances where a hot meal is not possible, and a cold alternative may be appropriate, but this would need to be discussed and confirmed with the HAF team.