(The Slice): The free lunch for all program that the USDA sponsored during the pandemic is ending. The proram will revert to pre-pandemic eligibility by June 30 even though schools will continued to operate during the pandemic. Advocates are raising concerns about the timing as they say children could go hungry in an unstable economy with high food prices.
School superintendents form some 13,000 districts actoss the country have appealed to Congress to allow the meal waiver that was impplemented in March of 2020 to remain in place.
“We urged Congress to include this extension in the omnibus to ensure that USDA can provide critical flexibilities to school meal programs as they continue to face significant supply-chain challenges and increased operating costs, and not disrupt the work they do to keep kids fed as the pandemic wears on,” says Noelle Ellerson Ng, the associate executive director of advocacy and governance at AASA, the School Superintendents Association.
The $11 billion program was not intended to be permanent. In the omnibus package released earlier this month it was not included. Sen. Minority leader Mitch McConnel argued that keeping the prgram would add to the federal deficit. Democrats, althoguh they control both chambers, were unable to secure the program.
Schools are not the only enetities bing impacted by this reveral. Enhanements that were offered through local food banks orgnizations and churchsed during the pandemci are also ending as the fundin fizzles out.
Nutirtion experts say or the past 2 years students were able to each school breakfast and lunch without paying regardless of their family's economic status. Since the benefit will not be extended through next year, parents must apply for their student to receive free lunch. Studies show a link between meals and pomanc i school.
(Why cut the program if it was intended to relieve hunger and help families during the pandemic and the nation is still in a pandemic? This does not make sense. Despite over 10,000 emails being sent to Congress to ask for an extension, Republicans would not budge.)
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