Covid 19 coronavirus: Bay of Plenty teacher dreads looking in children's lunchboxes

The number of Bay of Plenty early childhood centres crying out for help has almost doubled post-lockdown. Photo / Supplied

The number of Bay of Plenty preschoolers going to daycare hungry, anxious and with only one set of clothing has soared as the toll of the Covid-19 pandemic rears its head on the region's youngest.

Since lockdown, the number of children on a KidsCan wait list for help with food and warm clothing has jumped by about 300 since February to 539. The number of early childhood centres on the list has almost doubled - from eight to 15.

Since April, the charity had seen an almost 30 per cent rise in the number of early childhood centres waiting for help nationwide.

Te Timatanga Hou ki Whakatāne Kohanga Reo teacher Herehere Te Papa said the situation had got so bad since lockdown that she "dreaded" looking in the children's lunchboxes.

She said children were coming with significantly less food, if any, and herself and other teachers were spending their own money to buy bread, eggs and cereal for the kids.

The number of Bay of Plenty early childhood centres crying out for help has almost doubled post-lockdown. Photo / Supplied

Every child at the kohanga reo was given breakfast in the morning to ensure no one started the day hungry, she said, but the costs were not easy on the team.

Te Papa said many children also only had one set of clothing, which she became aware of when she realised many were not able to get them wet as it was all they had.

She said she packed extra lunch for her children to give to those without every day and had started searching their rooms for spare clothes to bring in for other kids.

KidsCan support would "lift the weight off our shoulders" and help control the constant worry she felt for some of the children at the kohanga reo, she said.

"So many of them hardly have anything. It is so tight right now for so many.

"It would bring a bit of light to our kohanga in such a dark, dark time."

Welcome Bay's Maungaarangi Kindergarten and Whānau Centre head teacher Donna Wynyard said there had been an ongoing need for things like food and warm clothing in their local community for more than a decade.

But things had gotten worse as "increased stress and financial pressure" took hold of the community as a result of Covid-19, she said.

"We have applied to KidsCan a number of times previously and see this need to have their support is greater at present due to the impact of Covid-19.

The kindergarten already worked with Good Neighbour Food Rescue to help with food for local families and the children, with Wynyard saying a partnership with KidsCan would only "strengthen our community spirit".

The preschool joined 15 other early childhood centres with a total of 539 children in the Bay of Plenty currently sitting on a waiting list for help from KidsCan.

Maketu Educare children on one of their excursions. Photo / Supplied

The number had doubled from eight to 16 since February.

There were currently 372 children in eight Bay of Plenty centres receiving help from the charity. Every child received a raincoat, shoes, head lice treatment and five meals a week.

The charity provided breakfast, snacks, lunch, raincoats, shoes, socks, and basic health and hygiene items - including period products - to 788 schools nationwide.

Maketu Educare was one of the Bay of Plenty childhood centres that benefited from help from the charity.

Teacher Chrissie Keepa said some children used to turn up to their centre with empty tummies, no shoes and with little winter clothing before KidsCan came in to help.

Now they were able to provide the children with healthy meals that improved "concentration spans" and "development" and shoes and jackets that were great for excursions.

"Having KidsCan on our side has taken the pressure off parents having to sort out healthy eating for their children, especially with today's living costs."

KidsCan's founder Julie Chapman said it was "crucial that we reach these preschoolers waiting for support as soon as possible".

"Teachers have told us of siblings with only a packet of two-minute noodles to share for the day, of children shivering without enough warm clothes, and of several families crammed into houses to afford rent, including 11 people in a two-bedroom home."

KidsCan was calling for help from Kiwis to extend its early childhood programme to under 5s.

People looking to donate can head to the KidsCan NZ website.