In Grimsby, United Kingdom, Central Daycare looks after about eighty children a day. Michelle, Nursery Manager, says the daycare is located in “one of the most disadvantaged wards within the UK. The area has a high percentage of unemployment.” Many parents who bring their child to the daycare are struggling to make ends meet. Central Daycare strives to provide healthy living and eating for every child who walks through their doors.
Through its partnership with Vitamin Angels UK, the daycare can provide more fresh and nutritious foods to supplement available snacks and meals. “Through the program with Vitamin Angels UK, we’ve now been able to offer healthy, nutritious meals at a cost that is acceptable to parents and free for parents that need them. Without this program we would have to charge a rate that would be well above the means that these parents could afford. Which could probably mean that these parents wouldn’t access this hot meal every day for their child. And for some of these children, I can honestly say, this is probably the only hot meal that they get in a day.”
Michelle shared that one in four children are at risk for food insecurity in the UK. “Nutrition is so important at this stage of life, as in any stage, but children learn the most in the first five years of life. What they learn in the first five years of life sets them up for the rest of their life. They learn all the words, they physically develop, so without good nutrition and health, this can have long-term impact later on in life.” Together with the dedication of workers at Central Daycare, Vitamin Angels UK is building the foundation for a healthy life for children in need in the United Kingdom.