(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
 . . . . . . . . . .



Despite clear benefits of free school meals, the Republican war on healthy, happy kids continues [1]

['Daily Kos Staff']

Date: 2023-06-27  

In 2020, Congress funded meals for all children enrolled in public school regardless of income as part of pandemic support. It was a rare, welcome moment of bipartisanship in an incredibly hostile political climate that helped to decrease food insecurity in households with children. By all accounts, the program was a success.

However, like other anti-poverty pandemic programs, it expired. Republicans in Congress not only refused to extend universal school meals, they committed to rolling back food access for low-income kids.

No one should be hungry, especially children. Providing nutrition for all is a practical solution that leads to lower food insecurity, healthier diets, improved academic performance, and more revenue for schools.

Sign the petition if you agree: Republicans don't speak for me. Every public school meal should be free.

Prior to 2020, many schools enacted "lunch-shaming" practices that separated children by income: Schools used colored tickets to determine who ate free lunch, or even gave low-income students an entirely different meal than students who paid out of pocket. In what can only be described as a nightmare scenario, some schools went as far as to deny kids meals when their balance was negative or overdue.

Not only do these stomach-churning practices stigmatize children living in or near poverty and reinforce income inequality, they are bureaucratic messes. Means-testing requires collecting and tracking applications on an individual basis—another unnecessary nuisance for resource-strapped schools and families. Moreover, the more bureaucracy, the less likely the most vulnerable children—those in foster care or unstable households, English language learners, rural, disabled, undocumented or mixed status families, and others—will be able to access school nutrition.

Like all poverty-related issues, lunch-shaming practices are a policy choice: Schools don't have the budget to cover all basic classroom supplies, much less meals, without state and federal support. Decades of right-wing attacks have lead to budget cuts, and teacher and staff shortages. Public education needs more dedicated funding and better support. Universal meals ensure all young learners have access to food at school, reduces systemic barriers for those who will benefit the most, and helps to unburden our schools.

Democratic-lead state governments in Vermont, Colorado, Maine, California, New Mexico, and Minnesota have enacted universal or near-universal food access for public school children to fill the void left by conservative intransigence. Many other states have introduced legislation to do the same. However, the country's poorest states are controlled by Republicans. Our ability to ensure nutrition for kids who will benefit the most requires federal intervention.

Not all hope is lost. The Keep Kids Fed Act, which allowed some states to extend their free meal programs and provided additional money for reimbursements, easily passed with bipartisan support in 2022. Polls show widespread support for universal school meals, with 74% of voters and 90% of parents favoring the idea. And with reauthorization of the Farm Bill coming up, now is the time to demand full funding for food access programs with demonstrated success.

“Free” is not a dirty word. It is a sign of a healthy economy and a prosperous nation. Tax dollars are better spent on supporting our kids, and with them our future, than on an extra $28 billion gift to the Pentagon. An ideology that privileges tax breaks for the wealthy or building useless weapons of war over caring for our communities doesn't serve the nation's best interests.

Send a clear message: All school meals should be nutritious and free.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/27/2177772/-Despite-clear-benefits-of-free-school-meals-the-Republican-war-on-healthy-happy-kids-continues

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/