During the pandemic, fatalities and Covid-19 cases were frequently reported. Every news report, every newspaper – it was impossible to avoid the grim reality of this situation.

However, there were knock on effects of the global pandemic that have not been so widely reported. The damage to the economy has resulted in an increase in child poverty around the world. Children already in low-income families have faced extra financial pressure due to virus related hardship. As schools closed, this meant the loss of a decent school meal. Some families are on very low incomes but do not fall below the threshold, and so did not receive any food vouchers. In the UK alone, more than a third of low-income families lacked the essential digital resources required to access online learning. This has in turn meant their children have missed out on valuable education and could face leaving school without the necessary literacy and numeracy skills required to further their careers. Additionally, bills were higher due to staying home during lockdown. Even the much-awaited return to school came with higher than usual associated costs due to purchasing extra clothing for outdoor learning, face masks, hand gel etc.

At V&C Foundation, we see these struggling families and want to help. We are currently researching ways to support low income families; to help reduce this financial pressure and improve quality of life. Watch this space.