Information for delivery partners

HAF is a grant funded by the Department for Education (DfE). It is for children who qualify for benefits-related free school meals. Activity sessions should provide:

• enriching activities including physical activity
• a nutritional hot meal which can be either lunch or tea

We expect all delivery partners to incorporate healthy living education to both children, and parents and carers within their sessions. They should also provide a range of support information for families.

HAF sessions are four hours per day for four days. This should include a range of enriching activities with a hot, nutritious, and healthy meal. You can deliver as many hours as you choose but there is no expectation that HAF money will fund the additional hours. 

OFSTED registration is not compulsory but it is strongly advised. It provides a guide for those who are supporting children under the age of eight for more than four hours a week.

As a provider, you can also offer advice to parents and carers on how to access help with childcare costs such as universal credits or tax free childcare. More information on the help parents and carers can receive with the costs of childcare can be found on the Childcare Choices website.

Safeguarding is a priority. We expect all providers to follow the NSPCC staffing ratio.

Sport England has teamed up with the Youth Sport Trust to develop a new online resource that will help more children be physically active. 

The new, free Active Recovery hub hosts hundreds of practical ideas to get children moving throughout the day. Schools, local authority co-ordinators and HAF providers can search for activities by age and the time of day they want to get active. The activities are provided by sports organisations and there are a diverse range of inclusive activities to choose from. The new hub provides the ideal platform to get all young people more active.