41% of parents skipped meals or reduced portion sizes so that their children would have enough to eat, according to a new survey.
The annual Barnardos and Aldi Ireland food insecurity research published today (Tuesday, February 27) shows that there has been a 12% increase in the amount of parents cutting back on their own food intake to provide for their children.
The survey of 1,000 adults, conducted by Coyne Research in November, found that food insecurity in families with children is worsening.
More parents are cutting back on their own food; borrowing money for food or using food banks or cutting down on essentials such as clothing, electricity, and heat in order to make sure enough food is on the table.
Survey
According to the survey, 24% of parents had to borrow money to feed a child in the last year, up from 16% in October 2022.
One quarter of parents reduced spending on medical costs, 48% spent less on clothes and 21% of families cut back on children’s activities to afford food.
27% of respondents reported that they have never had to make cutbacks to afford food, down from 36% last October.
A total of 45% of parents are either always or sometimes worried about having enough food for the family.
Of those parents who are worried, half are “stressed”, more than a quarter say they feel “guilty” and almost a fifth are afraid to ask for help.
The results shows that there is an increased focus among parents on providing healthy eating options for their children.
Almost nine in ten (88%) say that healthy or nutritious food is important in their decision-making (up from 81% a year ago).
More than three quarters (76%) of parents say that their family always or mostly eat a main daily meal together, and more than nine in ten parents (92%) aim to have mostly home cooked meals.
In terms of food preparation, 83% said that they mostly cook meals from scratch and a similar number mostly or always include fruit or vegetables in their meals.
94% of parents say they aim to give their children fresh fruit and vegetables every day.
Food insecurity
Barnardos said that living in households experiencing food insecurity can be damaging to children’s health, well-being and future development.
The charity is calling on the government to set out a timeline for the development of an action plan on food insecurity with specific targets.
It said that the hot schools meals programme needs to be extended to secondary schools, along with the provision of out-of-terms meals for children who depend on such services in schools.
Barnardos also called for additional supports for low income families in Budget 2025.
Suzanne Connolly, chief executive of Barnardos said that the survey results reflect what the charity sees on the ground every day.
“Parents are being faced with difficult decisions to make for their families more frequently than ever.
“A lack of nutritious meals has an impact on the emotional and mental well-being of both child and parent for a long to time to come,” she said.