Mealtimes for all
As part of our partnership with McCain, we did research into the barriers families raising a disabled, or seriously ill, child face to spending quality family moments together. The report shows the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on families' quality time together.
About the research
This report shows how families experience mealtimes, family life and their wider communities.
Key findings
- Almost 9 in 10 families raising disabled children (87%) said the pandemic negatively impacted their mealtimes. In contrast, for families without disabled children this figure was much lower, at 45%.
- Nearly half of parents raising disabled children (48%) agreed that the different needs of their children stopped them coming together for mealtimes.
- In the last year, 7% of parents without disabled children have gone without food for a day because there wasn’t enough money. Yet, this rises to 20% for parents raising disabled children.
- Over half of families raising disabled children fear things are worse for their children. 58% say they have become more lonely or isolated as a result of the pandemic.
- In a typical week, 82% of families without disabled children sit down for a meal as a family, on three or more days. Families raising disabled children find it harder to get together. As a consequence, two in three (64%) reported sitting down for food on three or more days.
As part of this report, Christine McGuinness, mum, TV star and autism advocate, teamed up with us and McCain to talk about her experience. Christine met mum Kirsty, whose daughter Heidi has cerebral palsy. Watch the full video below:
McCain and Family Fund working together
Mark Hodge, Marketing Director at McCain says: “We understand the importance of quality time. We know how much parents value those special mealtime moments together. This research has shown that even against the backdrop of the pandemic where we’ve been spending more time together, for some families, the crisis has had a disproportionately negative effect.”
As a family business, we want to shine a spotlight on those families and children who have faced increasing hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognise that more needs to be done to help these families and drive positive societal impact. Through our partnership with Family Fund, we want to highlight the great work they do in providing the resources for families to enjoy the small things in life. We also want to highlight the little moments they treasure, that many of us take for granted.
Cheryl Ward, Chief Executive of Family Fund says: “This last year has been tough on everyone. But at Family Fund we know it has particularly put enormous financial and emotional pressure on families who are living on low incomes, raising a disabled or seriously ill child. This report highlights how even simply spending time together has been made more difficult by the pandemic, as parents and carers have dealt with new challenges every day.”
We’re here to make a practical difference to families’ lives and working with McCain will help us to support more families and ease some of those pressures that families raising disabled or seriously ill children face, allowing more families to enjoy the same opportunities, aspirations and quality of life that others do.