LOW-income families whose children receive free meals should be given cash if schools are told to shut, a charity has urged.
As the threat of widespread closures looms, Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI) said steps needed to be taken to ensure pupils did not go hungry.
Nearly 100,000 children are eligible for free school meals.
CiNI chief executive Pauline Leeson said direct cash transfers to families would be an effective tool to help weather the storm.
"It would be quicker than providing vouchers for food or funding for lunch clubs, which would be inconvenient for families who are self-isolating or in quarantine," she said.
"Of course, we recognise that schools may need to shut to prevent the spread of virus, however families were already struggling before. This will make it so much worse for them to be able to afford to feed their children at home, they are not in a position to stockpile food as many others have been doing. For many children and young people the meal they get at school will be the only one."
Parent advocate Marion Bradley added: "This crisis shines a spotlight on how vulnerable families are."
