New Survey: Financial Strain Forcing Parents to Sacrifice Warm Coats for School Children
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, Oct. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Operation Warm, a national nonprofit that provides brand-new coats and shoes to children in need, today released results from a new nationwide survey highlighting the growing challenge families face in affording properly fitting warm coats.
Key Findings:
- 73% of parents with annual household incomes under $65,000 worry about their family’s financial stability as back-to-school expenses add extra pressure to their budgets.
- After covering essentials like food and household bills, 73% of parents say there is little money left for their child’s school needs.
- Of those facing this hardship, 57% report that a limited budget forced them to deprioritize items such as properly fitting warm coats for their children.
- The impact is even greater in colder regions: 65% of Northeast parents and 63% of West region parents say they had to deprioritize warm coats due to financial constraints.
- Alarmingly, more than one-third (36%) of parents admit they have kept their child home from school when temperatures dropped because they could not afford a good-quality warm coat.
“No child should have to miss school or sit at home in the cold because their family can’t afford a coat,” said Brenda Lee, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Operation Warm. “Our program is more than a coat—it’s about access: access to education, to confidence, and to the opportunities that come with being present and ready to learn.”
To Learn More:
To help ensure every child has access to warmth and the ability to attend school confidently, visit www.operationwarm.org to donate, sponsor an event, or learn how you can support families in your community.
Survey Methodology:
Operation Warm commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,004 U.S. adults, all parents of at least one child aged 5 to 17 with annual household incomes below $65,000. Fieldwork took place August 26–28, 2025, with a margin of error of ±3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
About Operation Warm:
Operation Warm is a national nonprofit that manufactures and distributes high-quality coats, shoes, and sports bras to children in need, helping families overcome barriers to school attendance and participation.
Emily Allegrucci Operation Warm 3025889569 eallegrucci@operationwarm.org
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