Congress can remove a roadblock to good nutrition by eliminating the reduced-price category for school lunches and breakfasts, and making the meals free for lower-income children, said the School Nutrition Association on Monday. Roughly 6 percent of lunches and 9 percent of breakfasts served at schools nationwide are sold at reduced prices of 40 cents for lunch and 30 cents for breakfast.
“Too often the reduced price co-pay is a barrier that forces vulnerable children to go without the nutrition they need to succeed,” said president Gay Anderson of the School Nutrition Association, which speaks for school food directors. Elimination of the reduced-price category was the first item on SNA’s list of legislative priorities. The group called on Congress to preserve the Community Eligibility Provision, which allows schools in poor neighborhoods to serve meals for free to all students, and to allow states to use Medicaid data to automatically certify students for reduced or free meals.
Federal officials should encourage schools to allow enough time for students to eat, said the SNA. Short lunch periods are a concern for millions of food-insecure children who depend on school meals.
The anti-hunger Food Research and Action Center, in a list of priorities for re-authorizations of child nutrition programs, also recommended broader use of “direct certification” of children for free or reduced-price meals, and expansion of the Community Eligibility Provision. Both groups say the government should provide more commodities for use in preparing school breakfasts.
An average 14.5 million children take part daily in the school breakfast program and an average 29.4 million students participate in the school lunch program daily. Most of the meals are served for free.
Lawmakers in the House and Senate began work last year on reauthorization of child nutrition programs. Little progress has been made.