According to an independent study that was commissioned for the council, around a quarter of the children living in Midlothian (4,400) are living in poverty. Councillors also approved a recommendation to create a cost of a school day policy looking at more ways to support struggling families.
Leader Councillor Kelly Parry said: “The findings of this report make depressing reading but unfortunately, they don’t come as a surprise. We set up the cost of living taskforce last summer because so many families were bearing the brunt of escalating costs and soaring inflation rates.
“While we’ve achieved a lot in a relatively short space of time, this report is a reminder that more is needed. No child, or indeed anyone, should be without a nutritious meal or live in poverty.”