Dozens of Bay of Plenty families are on the waiting list to receive back-to-school funding. Photo / Getty Images
Bay of Plenty families are preparing for a tough start to the term as the stress of back-to-school costs is expected to be "amplified" as many struggle after the impact of Christmas.
Dozens of Bay schoolkids were on children's charity Variety's waiting list to get funding for basic essentials including uniform and stationery for 2021.
The region's schools will receive more than 200,000 items of KidsCan food in the first term.
Meanwhile, low decile schools are reducing stationery costs, sourcing cheaper uniforms, dropping fees and ensuring parents know there is food support at school.
Tauranga Budget Advisory Services manager Shirley McCombe said usually the first few weeks after the school holidays were reasonably quiet, but they had been busier this year.
"When schools start back we tend to see a lot of families struggling with the impact of Christmas and then the cost of children returning to school: uniforms, stationery etc," she said.
"As many families were struggling before Christmas, we are expecting this to be amplified this year."
McCombe advised families to create a budget, know how much they need for the new school year and put a small amount away each week to prepare for back-to-school costs.
"Most schools will allow families to pay a small amount each week so they are ahead of the ball. Many of the second-hand shops have second-hand uniforms."
The key was to plan ahead, she said.
"There may be assistance available from Work and Income for some families, but this is usually recoverable."
Principal of Merivale School in Tauranga Tom Paekau said the primary school had decided to make it easier for all whānau in 2021 through stationery reductions.
"We also have generous sponsorship from members of our community who wish to remain anonymous that we can use to assist whānau in other areas if needed."
Paekau said the school also participated in the Breakfast in Schools, Fruit in Schools and Lunch in Schools programmes.
The Ministry of Education had also been "very generous" to all schools in terms of its Covid-19 response, he said.
So preparing for back to school was "business as usual".
"As with all schools, we have set dates aside to assist with smooth transitioning back to school.
"The first week is two days, the second week is three days, so we are easing into the first school term of 2021.
"We noticed that after the first lockdown, the vast majority of students and whānau were really just wanting a sense of grounding, routine and normality which thankfully, schools are able to provide. We expect this to continue in 2021."
Paekau said any whānau who needed help with back-to-school costs should contact their schools.
"There are many ways schools can assist both effectively and confidentially."
Rotorua's Sunset Primary School principal Eden Chapman said the primary school only charged for school uniforms.
"Everything else is free," he said. "We provide lunches, breakfasts and only $30 for a new school T-shirt if they need it.
"If a child is new to the school you can kit your kid out for about $100 to $120."
Chapman said the school introduced free stationery and lunches last year and also worked with Work and Income to be able to support families who were on the benefit.
The school also didn't charge for school trips and supplied togs for children who didn't have any or couldn't afford their own.
"For me, it's about making sure that there are just no barriers to education and there's no reason not to be at school," he said.
"We haven't charged school fees for a long time. We do a lot to look after our families."
Tauranga Community Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin said she was expecting the next few weeks to be "steady".
"We had a busy week last week. But we expect that at this time of year."
Goodwin said the demand usually carried through to February as families juggled the usual back-to-school costs including term fees.
People who had lost their jobs or had taken pay cuts after the lockdown would be affected the most heading back to school, she said.
"Those are the people who we'd expect to see who we haven't seen before. But a lot of people are struggling, don't feel you need to do it alone."
Variety chief executive Susan Glasgow said the charity supported 471 Bay children through its Kiwi Kid Sponsorship Programme - about 8 per cent of the 5679 children supported nationwide.
The programme matches a child with a sponsor whose funding provides basic and school essentials including uniform, shoes, stationery, camp or sports fees.
Glasgow said there were currently 29 Bay children on the waiting list.
"These are children whose families are struggling to make ends meet and who face overwhelming costs at the start of the school year.
"Without the support they need, these young people will start or go back to school without the tools to learn and fully participate in class, causing them to feel different or ashamed.
"They will look on as their friends join sports teams or go to school camp. In extreme cases, some young New Zealanders won't start school at all, they are the ones most at risk of falling behind."
Glasgow said Covid-19 had made it worse for families already struggling.
"The cost of going back to school for a caregiver can be anywhere from $500 to $1000 to cover the cost of a new uniform and digital device, this is well beyond the means of families who are already experiencing financial hardship."
KidsCan chief executive Julie Chapman said Bay schools would be receiving 214,002 items of KidsCan food in Term 1- up from 109,105 in Term 1 last year.
Research for KidsCan by Colmar Brunton on food insecurity in schools found "teachers are getting hit from all angles" with the job consuming their time, effort and money as they take care of child welfare before they can teach.
"The impact is huge. Some won't make it to school at all. Others arrive wet, in dirty clothes, feeling embarrassed, stressed, and exhausted," she said.
"They can't participate in class like their peers and miss out on camps, sport and other extracurricular activities. This is too big a burden for our young people to bear."