Children living in temporary housing in Greater Manchester will get free bus travel to and from school on the city region’s Bee Network from 1 September, mayor Bev Craig has announced.
The move is part of The Greater Manchester Strategy, a plan for the region’s next decade which is focused on reducing the number of families and children in temporary accommodation.
It means children placed in temporary accommodation can always get to their school, maintaining their routine and minimising disruption to their education.
Families who are eligible, which includes those living more than two miles from their school or where their route is considered unsafe to walk, will be assessed for inclusion by their local council, which will then issue a pass.
Sam Pratt, policy and communications lead at the Shared Health Foundation, a charity that supports homeless families in Greater Manchester, said: “Families who are homelessness are struggling to pay bills, travel costs and other things while they are homeless.
“So actually, this new policy is absolutely ground-breaking to have extra support and extra wrap-around support for these families, and we believe that it’s right to put children’s education first”.
Mayor Bev Craig also said: “As Mayor, I’m committed to reducing the number of families stuck in temporary housing, including by building 50,000 council and genuinely affordable homes”.
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