Many children in California have begun the new school year, and as the first state to do so, the Golden State is now providing all students with free lunches.
The universal lunch programme was established by legislation that Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law California advance of the 2022–2023 school year.
According to the new rule, regardless of the student’s eligibility for free or reduced-price meals, all kindergarten through 12th grade public schools must provide two free meals – breakfast and lunch – throughout each school day to students desiring a meal.
Based on family income, the state already established a free or reduced lunch programme.
In addition to ensuring that everyone has access to free meals, the bill also allots $150 million in financing to districts getting ready to roll out the universal meals programme to assist kitchen infrastructure improvements and staff training on nutrition.
13 million children may be food insecure in 2021, according to a prediction made by Feeding America, a nonprofit organisation that manages hundreds of food banks around the country.
While this represents a minor improvement over 2020, many households who were already struggling with food insecurity following the epidemic experienced much more suffering. In terms of food insecurity, there are racial discrepancies as well.
According to Feeding America, 21% of Black people may have been food insecure in 2021, compared to 11% of White people.
Students from low-income homes are entitled to free lunches at all public schools via the National School Lunch Program.
According to research by Emily Gutierrez of Brown University’s Annenberg Institute, when New York City expanded its free meal programme to include all students, regardless of household income, even more participated, including students who were previously eligible for free lunches but didn’t take them.
According to Norm Fruchter, senior consultant for NYU’s Metro Center, experts estimate that at least one-third of eligible children from low-income homes in the past choose not to enrol because they didn’t want to be labelled as weak and targeted by bullies.
According to Norm Fruchter, senior consultant for the NYU Metro Center, experts estimate that at least one-third of eligible children from low-income homes did not participate in the past because they did not want to be associated with poverty and targeted by bullies.
State Sen. Nancy Skinner, who put up the measure, and Newsom have both been contacted by CBS News for comment.