Thanks to the criticism of many on all sides of the political spectrum, the USDA has reversed an earlier decision to deny an extension of the school meals program. Now the program ends December 31, 2020.
Congress needs to vote on an extension for the school year and beyond, right now. Lunch should be free for all kids of all ages forever.
C'mon, Congress! You can do the right thing here, together. All sides vote yes.
Betsy Combier
betsy.combier@gmail.com
Editor, ADVOCATZ.com
Editor, ADVOCATZ Blog
Editor, NYC Rubber Room Reporter
Editor, Parentadvocates.org
Editor, New York Court Corruption
Editor, National Public Voice
Editor, NYC Public Voice
Editor, Inside 3020-a Teacher Trials
Editor, Parentadvocates.org
Editor, New York Court Corruption
Editor, National Public Voice
Editor, NYC Public Voice
Editor, Inside 3020-a Teacher Trials
Reversing Itself
Over a Few Days, USDA Extends School Meals Waivers, Allowing Districts to More
Easily Reach Food Insecure Students
Advocates Praise
Reversal, Calling Extension “Huge Lifeline for Hungry Families”
In response to withering, bipartisan criticism, USDA
announced today that it had reversed itself over the last few days and that the
Department will now extend waivers through December 31, 2020 for school
districts to provide free meals to students with greater flexibility. These
waivers will allow school districts to supply meals to all children regardless
of family income in addition to utilizing the structure of the Summer Food
Service Program and Seamless Summer Option, allowing communities to reach a
larger amount of children, especially those in districts operating remotely or
partially remotely.
In response, Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, a
nationwide nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, said:
“USDA’s
original decision to deny these extensions were blasted by schools, advocates,
and even some very conservative members of Congress. USDA’s common-sense reversal on the extension
of school meals waivers is a major relief for school districts, hunger
advocates, and struggling families. Parents will now be able to continue
picking up meals for their children at one location rather than going to
different school sites to pick up a meal for each child. Additionally, school
districts will have the flexibility to deliver meals to students’ homes and to
drop off multiple meals at once. The extension of these waivers is a huge
lifeline for hungry families and will help ensure that the number of food-insecure children in this country doesn’t continue to rise.”
A Fairfax County Public Schools staffer distributes free meals to families in April. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post) |
by Hannah Natanson and Perry Stein, Washington Post
August 31, 2020 at 12:48 p.m. EDT
Until this week, however, federal officials were planning to let certain key components of the meal program expire at the end of September. Most notably, starting in August, families would have had to pay for their food and to pick it up from the school their child attends.
“Today, we are . . . extending summer meal program flexibilities for as long as we can, legally and financially,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement Monday. This will “ensure meals are reaching all children — whether they are learning in the classroom or virtually.”
Specifically, the extension means school officials can serve meals “in all areas and at no cost,” outside typical meal times and to parents and guardians who show up without their children, according to a USDA news release. The last item is an important one for families of immunocompromised children. Those families spoke up early in the spring to demand — and eventually win — that flexibility.
The extension will expire on Dec. 31.
Roughly 30 million students across the United States eat school meals; of those, 22 million live in households whose income levels (at no more than 185 percent of the federal poverty level) qualify them for free- and reduced-price meals. The number of families reliant on school meals for sustenance has probably increased over the summer after the pandemic stalled the economy and drove unemployment sky-high.
Perdue’s announcement Monday marks a significant reversal from his department’s previous position on the issue. School leaders nationwide had begun to sound the alarm about the meal program’s expiration in late August, as the start of school approached.
Officials in the Washington region warned that ending the program would force families to go hungry.
“If those flexibilities are not in place, the burden on our parents is going to be tremendous. I’m having nightmares,” Beverly Wheeler, director of advocacy group D.C. Hunger Solutions, told The Washington Post.
But USDA officials had insisted that the flexibilities already granted to school systems, such as the ability to deliver meals via bus routes, were sufficient to keep students fed.
In the news release Monday, Agriculture Department officials acknowledged the impact of the school leaders’ pressure campaign — even as they noted that the new extensions fall short of what had been requested.
“While there have been some well-meaning people asking USDA to fund this through the entire 2020-2021 school year, we are obligated not to spend more than is appropriated by Congress,” the release said. “Congress did not authorize enough funding for the entire 2020-2021 school year.”
School leaders have repeatedly said they need billions in federal funding to reopen schools safely in-person and effectively online. But Republicans and Democrats, locked in disagreement over how money for schools should be disbursed — among other conflicts — have yet to pass a stimulus package.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please do not use offensive language