“Now that COVID-era free meals for all have expired, many parents fear for their finances and the health of their children.” – Principal, Norton Pros High School.
Millions of students are getting used to life without free school meals and snacks for everyone, irrespective of their parent’s income, as a new school year begins across the nation. Parents get worried as America is set to stop schools’ free lunch programs. Even assessment help tutors at pre-schools are unhappy with this decision as they think students might be absent regularly!
This academic year, a COVID-era universal free lunch programme came to an end. Even though free or reduced meals are available to those who qualify and complete an application process, many parents are still concerned about their finances and ability to provide for their children’s needs.
According to an educational expert, “Nothing comes for free. Even if you seek reliable online assignment help at Adelaide, you must pay at least a few bucks to get it.”
The Present Scenario
Many parents were assured and they did not have to worry about making or purchasing lunch for their school-aged children for at least the last two academic years. This is because, during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, emergency government funding included food aid for kids. Many families received assistance that paid for their children’s lunches during the school year and the summer.
But before the start of the following school year, the funding for free lunches is scheduled to expire in several states.
June Pitt of Vermont and her family didn’t have enough money to feed their children daily. Buy they were assured that the school provided them with good lunch. Even after the pandemic hit the world, the US government made lunch money available to most schools. This was great support for the Pitt family, indeed!
Because June’s husband lost his job, they had a less financial concern regarding their child’s lunch.
However, the family may now need to bother about lunch once more. According to the old program’s income requirements, Murphy claimed her family makes little money to be eligible for free lunches.
According to experts, more families will need food bank assistance due to eliminating the lunch program aid and other programmes that helped families save money. Individuals and families in need can get free meals and food from food banks.
Current statistics on America’s meal programme:
| The school lunch programme is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cindy Long is the department’s Food and Nutrition Service administrator. According to her, the number of kids receiving free meals increased from during the pandemic to | 20 million to 30 million |
| In 2022, a summer meal programme distributed meals and snacks for about | $1.3 billion meals and snacks and the total cost was $4.1 billion |
Recently, President Joe Biden signed a bill. The bill focuses on the written amendments that the summer meal programs of schools will run in the same way, just like the first two summers of a pandemic.
The most interesting part is that some states in US are utilizing their own money to save the free meals program for kids.
California did it last year. Colorado and Massachusetts are working on it. They need state proposals and permissions to proceed. If the proposals pass, these states will provide the free meal program for at least one more year!
The Free Lunch Program in America: When Did It Start?
According to a research scientist in Wisconsin, “American school lunches date back to the late 19th century, when the adoption of laws requiring compulsory education and outlawing child labor resulted in more children attending school for long stretches of time than ever before.”
According to a renowned author, “Concerns about malnutrition were raised as a result of health screenings in schools, which in turn led to the establishment of privately funded school meal programmes in many cities. The government intervened with emergency programmes after the Great Depression destroyed the majority of the popular programmes. These initiatives were so well-liked that they eventually sparked the 1946 National School Lunch Act.”
What Caused the Universal Free Lunch to End?
At the very beginning of the COVID19, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service eliminated the paperwork of low-income parents. They previously needed to qualify for free or reduced lunch in 2020 to 2021 and made free school meals available to all children regardless of family income.
After COVID, there wasn’t any documentation to complete and no income requirement so everyone could receive a free school lunch.
Other waivers that the Food and Nutrition Service issued also increased access to meals for all kids, especially during the summer when school was out.
According to the Agriculture Department, there are approximately 10 million children exist who are no longer qualify for free meal program. This is only because their parents make more than the federal poverty level or, in many cases, just above it.
Additionally, low-income parents who might be eligible must resume the often burdensome process of filling out applications and requesting free or reduced lunch.
But the primary reason behind putting an end to free meals is: Inflation and problems with the global supply chain make it possible for schools to raise lunch prices as a result of the elimination of the universal free lunch programme.
A recent survey shows that the people of US have different points of view:
| Not agreed with the proposal | 59% |
| Not agreed presently but want to implement a few years later | 23% |
| Agreed but need discussion | 10% |
| Agreed | 8% |
Ending Note,
Everything that occurs in the classroom is completely affected when children are hungry at school. Everything – their behavior, their academic performance, and growth – is impacted. So, it should be made mandatory to offer free meals to students at all times!
Author Bio:
Julie Anderson is currently employed by MyAssignmenthelp.com and holds a PhD in accounting. Also, she is famous for being a one of the great assignment help tutors.