Universal free breakfast clubs aim to ease ‘mum guilt’ and morning stress
New free breakfast clubs could save parents £450 a year and help ease stigma around asking for support
Parents juggling the school run, work and rising costs could soon get a little more breathing space, as universal free breakfast clubs roll out to more schools across England from April.
With another 500 schools joining the scheme next term, more than 300,000 children are expected to benefit, giving families extra time in the morning and saving parents up to £450 a year. By September, the total number of schools offering a free breakfast club is set to rise to around 2,750.
Crucially for many mums, the clubs are open to everyone, not just families labelled as needing support. That shift could help tackle what new research shows is a very real issue for parents, especially single mums and dads, mum guilt around accepting help.
Why universal breakfast clubs matter for parents
New polling of parents suggests that stigma still plays a big role in whether families take up school-based support. Nearly four in ten single parents (38%), said they would feel guilty about using targeted free help such as breakfast clubs. That compares with 28% of parents who have a partner.
The feeling is even stronger among families on lower incomes. Almost half of parents earning under £15,000 a year, 49%, said there is a stigma around using a free breakfast club, while just 19% of those earning £50,000 or more felt the same way.
Making breakfast clubs universal appears to change that. When support is available to all families, six in ten parents (60%) said they would be more likely to use it.
For busy mums trying to balance childcare, work and finances, that shift could make a practical difference, without the emotional weight that can come with asking for help.
Saving time, money and stress in the mornings
Beyond tackling stigma, parents say breakfast clubs offer real everyday benefits. Nearly half of parents, 45%, now say they would prioritise a school with a free breakfast club when choosing where to send their child.
The scheme is designed to give children a calmer, more settled start to the day, while freeing up parents’ time in the morning. For working families, that can mean fewer rushed breakfasts, smoother drop offs and less stress before the day has even begun.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said free breakfast clubs are becoming part of modern family life.
Free breakfast clubs are revolutionising morning routines up and down the country, becoming an essential part of modern-day life for working families.
She also spoke about her own experience of being raised by a single parent, adding that tackling stigma is key to making support work for families in real life.
A single mum’s experience of breakfast club
For Maria Carnevale, a single mum of three living in Eastwood in Rotherham, breakfast club has been a game changer. Alongside work and family life, she is also caring for a newborn.
Introducing Maria’s experience helps bring the impact of breakfast clubs into focus for families who may be wondering if it is worth it.
My kids absolutely love breakfast club. It gives them such a fun, positive start to their day and the chance to chat, play and engage with their friends before school begins.
Maria says her children look forward to breakfast club each morning and arrive at school in a better mood, ready for the day ahead.
"It’s become something they genuinely look forward to each morning, and it sets them up in such a good mood for the day ahead," she said.
The benefits are not just for the children. For Maria, breakfast club has eased pressure at home and made mornings feel more manageable.
"For me, it’s made a huge difference too; it helps our mornings run smoothly, takes away the rush and stress, and means I can get to work on time or spend those precious moments with my newborn that I’d otherwise miss."
What happens next
From April, more than 1,250 free breakfast clubs will be running across the country, with a further 1,500 expected to open in September. For parents facing the daily juggle of school, work and finances, the expansion could offer not just practical help, but reassurance that support is there for everyone, without judgement.