According to the USDA, as of 2021, more than 9 million, or 1 in 8 children, faced hunger in America. Hunger can affect the ability of students to learn. When children are hungry, they have difficulty concentrating and retaining information.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress approved funding for universal free school meals, and millions of children had access to a nutritious breakfast and lunch. But that funding ended last September. California is the first state to have implemented a statewide Universal Meals Program starting in 2022, but most states are on their own to figure out how to feed hungry students. And as grocery prices rise, many families who do not qualify still cannot afford the food they need. Many children are again accumulating unpaid school lunch debt and the shaming that comes with it.
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Sign the petition to Congress: Fund universal school meals now!
By law, children are required to attend school until a certain age. Yet the laws that mandate their attendance do not provide for everything they will need during a school day—including lunch. So lower-income families go into school lunch debt and children bear the stigma of being unable to afford their food.
Universal school meals provide free healthy meals to all students who want or need it without any complications. School meals have been shown to improve overall diet quality and improve academic performance and behavior. Free school meals also reduce food insecurity among families, allowing them to spend money on other necessities like housing, transportation, and health care.
A few states in addition to California and Maine have already funded universal free school meals, but all children benefit when they can learn without facing hunger at school. By nourishing all of our students today, we are preparing them for success in the classroom and beyond. Investing in programs to ensure all children—regardless of income—can access healthy meals year-round would help prepare every child to be more ready to learn and thrive. No child should go hungry.
Sign the petition to Congress: Fund universal school meals now!