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Almost one in three parents in Wales – 31% – will skip a meal during the summer holidays so there will be enough food for their children, a new study reveals.

And research by the Trussell Trust showed that 56% of Welsh parents worried about the extra cost of childcare during the school break

Across Britain, around 40% said they were worried about extra costs and 20% expected to skip at least one meal, suggesting more profound problems with poverty here.

National programme of holiday clubs launched

But across Britain, 16% said they were likely to ask friends and family for help – compared to 12% in Wales.

The statistics come as the UK poverty charity launches a national programme of holiday clubs to tackle summer-break pressures on parents.

Trussell Trust Holiday Clubs, supported by charity the innocent foundation, will provide families with activities and a nutritious meal.

'Many families are closer to crisis than we think'

Tony Graham, foodbank network manager for Wales & Northern Ireland at The Trussell Trust, said families who rely on free meals in term time can end up facing hunger in the school holidays.

He added: “No-one knows the full-scale of hunger in Wales during the school holidays yet, but these figures make one thing clear – many families are closer to crisis than we think.

“It should be a wake-up call to us all that so many children will have a parent expecting to skip a meal or more this summer so they can feed the family.”

Cardiff foodbank’s operations manager Catherine Williams says many families find their income simply won’t stretch to meet the extra pressure of missing free school meals or paying for extra childcare.

She said: “The foodbank really is run for the community, by the community. It’s all about helping each other and recognising that nobody in Cardiff should face going hungry.

“Everyone who comes to the foodbank is referred by a professional who holds our vouchers, and that’s why we’d encourage anyone worried they won’t be able to afford food during this school holiday to talk to their local council hub, housing association or advice centre.”

Asked about ways pressures over the summer could be eased for lower-income families, 67% of parents in Wales agreed it should not fall to charities to provide extra support.

Up to 55% believe government and local councils should do more.

And 91% of parents in Wales agree that free school holiday clubs would significantly help relieve stress.

Foodbanks alone will not end hunger during school break

The Trussell Trust’s holiday clubs pilot project will see more than 40 churches and community groups involved in providing holiday schemes this summer alongside their foodbank activities, or more than one in 10 Trussell Trust foodbanks.

But the group says foodbanks alone will not end hunger during the school break and have called for a long-term solution between government, businesses, schools and charities.

Shadow Poverty and Communities Secretary Bethan Jenkins AM said it was “very worrying” when parents say they expect to skip meals to feed children.

The Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales West added: “For children of families that are eligible for free school meals, I think that the Welsh Government and local authorities could look to creating schemes that would alleviate the holiday stress for parents.

“Clearly, this would have to be done sensitively, as we would not want to stigmatise those who are in the free school meals category, but we shouldn’t have a situation where families are struggling like this over the summer holidays.“

A Welsh Government spokesperson said they have provided councils with £2.3m in funding every year since 2012 to help offer “wrap-around childcare out-of-school hours and during holidays”.

The spokesperson added: “In line with our priorities, local authorities have focused on offering out-of-school childcare, including holiday play schemes, to children from low-income families and those with specific needs.

“We have also provided over £4.3m over three years up until September 2017 to third sector organisations to help us develop innovative, flexible childcare solutions to meet the needs of families.”

The survey of 945 British parents of children aged 5-16 was carried out by YouGov between July 14 and 19 for the Trussell Trust. Between 50 and 60 Welsh parents took part.