350,000 kids 'live in cold homes in West Midlands' as third of hard-up parents ration heating
An estimated 350,000 children in the West Midlands could be at risk of living in cold and damp homes as their parents struggle to afford to heat their homes. More than a third of parents admitted rationing their heating to save money as the cost-of-living crisis continued to bite, a shocking new poll reveals.
The National Parent Survey was conducted by YouGov on behalf of parenting charity Parentkind. It spoke to more than 5,500 parents across the UK during April and May this year - making it one of the largest nationwide polls of parent opinion.
It revealed that 35 per cent of parents in the West Midlands were struggling financially with one in five worrying about getting into debt each month. While 28 per cent worried about paying their rent or mortgage and 17 per cent reported skipping meals in the last 12 months to save money.
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Parents and education
The National Parent Survey acts as a voice for parents and reflects their calls for urgent interventions to help with financial pressures. The research shows that parents across the UK are struggling to afford the cost of sending their children to school with almost half of parents in the West Midlands citing uniforms (49 per cent), school trips (45 per cent) and school meals and drinks (28 per cent) as being of concern.
Support for universal free school meals is high amongst parents from the West Midlands with 7 in 10 (70 per cent) agreeing they should be free for all children rising to 77 per cent for all primary school children only. Similar results were revealed for breakfast clubs with 70 per cent of parents supporting free breakfast clubs for all school children rising to 78 per cent for all primary school children only.
When it comes to parent’s involvement in education over half (51 per cent) of parents from the region feel that schools don’t give them clear information on tools to support their child's learning at home. Over 4 in 10 (43 per cent) of parents would like to have more time reading with or to their child for fun and 37 per cent would like to have more time to help with school work.
The study also found that almost 9 in 10 (89 per cent) parents across the West Midlands find school reports and parents’ evenings (84 per cent) useful, falling sharply to 68 per cent when asked about the usefulness of homework.
Screen time
Parents remain worried about the amount of time their children spend on screens and the impact this is having on their life.
Over half (53 per cent) of parents in the West Midlands whose child uses an electronic device outside of school said they are concerned with the amount of time their child spends on an electronic device with 43 per cent of parents revealing time spent on devices has recently caused disagreements with their children.
Over 7 in 10 (71 per cent) report impacts screen time is having including;
Parents’ mental health
The National Parent Survey is the largest of its kind in the UK and reveals worrying results about parents’ mental health and the impact this is having upon their life. Just over 1 in 5 parents (22 per cent) in the West Midlands revealed they have had poor mental health over the last 12 months. Among those who have experienced poor mental health:
Over half (55 per cent) revealed they have withdrawn from friends.
Half (50 per cent) have withdrawn from family.
Almost 4 in 10 (38 per cent) said they have used medication.
Over half (51 per cent) have visited the GP or other health practitioner regarding poor mental health.
1 in 5 (19 per cent) have missed work due to the impact of poor mental health.
Reaction
Parentkind CEO Jason Elsom said: "This large-scale parent survey is an important insight into what is really going on with families across the UK and what parents really think. Too many parents tell us they are unhappy most of the time, with parent mental health concerns a big worry, parents are missing work because they are suffering with mental health problems.
"Many parents are struggling to make ends meet and have only a few hundred pounds left in the bank for a rainy day. It’s no wonder the cost of school worries parents, with all the little extras adding up.
"The amount of time children spend on screens is once again a big issue for parents and the National Parent Survey shows it is having a big impact on family life causing disagreements as some children are now spending 7 hours a day on smartphones and tablets and it is stopping them from sleeping and ruining family time.
"The National Parent Survey is one of the biggest parent polls in Britain and is a wake up call to policy makers to put parents first, listen to their concerns and make life better for parents, we’ve put forward a plan to make this happen based on the voice of parents from across Britain.”
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