‘Food Inclusion’ should be a cornerstone of child development

I welcome the Cross Party Group’s call for FSM to be extended to all early years. There is a compelling case for elevating food inclusion to the same level of urgency and structural support as SEND. The intersection of food policy, education, and child welfare is often underplayed, and now is the time to draw everyone’s attention to its complexity and systemic importance.

We have become well used to the tensions around early years funding and food charges. Now that free school meals are being extended to 500,000 more children (a very welcome move), and whilst we wait for a decision on funding the Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) programme, and families continue to be squeezed by the rising cost of living, there is an urgent need for policy alignment. Because children and families are experiencing ‘food exclusion’, that that mounting evidence shows affects health, wellbeing, learning, and opportunity. So much so, I am coining the phrase ‘food inclusion’.

Why?

Nutrition is non-negotiable. Children’s access to nutritious meals shouldn't be dependent upon postcode, parental work status, or term dates. Like SEND provision, food should be seen as a right, not an optional add-on.

Food should be part a stigma-free of the early years learning experience. Currently, food provision in Early Years (EY) is chargeable and treated as a discretionary service. Updating statutory guidance could mandate inclusive food provision, particularly for children from low-income families and disadvantaged backgrounds.

There ought to be better policy alignment across departments. Education, health, social care, and employment all touch this issue, but policies are often artificially separated and need holistic planning. Aligning strategies (FSM expansion, HAF funding, EY funding) would reduce overlap and ensure consistent outcomes.

There are hidden barriers that need removing. Universal and targeted entitlements being delivered in the same space creates confusion and inequity. The surprise costs of food charges in settings labelled “funded” creates friction for working families and acts as an access barrier for those least advantaged (think 15 hours and two-year-olds). Food inclusion must mean genuinely equitable access. If you ‘choose’ to not pay for the optional offer because your financial circumstances actually give you no choice but to say no, then the resulting lack of food provision exacerbates the attainment gaps between socio-economic groups.

Promoting food inclusion as a recognised policy theme could lead to: inclusion in government briefings and strategy/guidance documents; clear funding structures tied to nutritional access; public awareness campaigns linking food and learning outcomes; and collaboration with SEND-focused groups to build joint frameworks for inclusive education.

This message must resonate widely with policymakers, school leaders, early years educators, and advocates alike. All demonstrating that children’s nutrition is central to wellbeing and potential, and core to any quality learning environment. It should never be an optional extra, but an essential element for achievement and learning. Simple as that.