Over 53% of U.S. children qualify for free school lunch, but recent changes to safety net programs have raised concerns among educators and parents about the impact on funding these programs.

Washington

Educators and advocates are raising concerns about recent changes to eligibility requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, which could result in hundreds of thousands of families losing access to free school lunches. The School Nutrition Association warns that as fewer students automatically qualify, schools may face reduced federal reimbursements, making it more difficult to provide meals for all children.

Experts highlight that school lunches are a critical support for many low-income families, and reduced access could negatively affect student focus and success. Additionally, the financial strain may force schools to rely more on processed foods and decrease demand for fresh local produce, potentially harming local farmers and economies.

Educators raise concerns on school lunch safety net cuts

And there is what is called the social safety net. In one such program, school lunches. Holly Farfer out of our Scripps News Group says that safety net is showing a lot of holes. School children whose families qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP and Medicaid are also eligible to receive free school lunches, a critical support for millions of low-income households. But that's about to change. Recent changes tightening eligibility for SNAP and Medicaid could leave hundreds of thousands of families without benefits. And as a result, the School Nutrition Association says many children may lose automatic access to free school meals. Families can still apply independently, but may struggle with paperwork and tight deadlines, a growing concern for advocates and educators. It hurts the whole program because one of the things that we've seen really helps school meal programs is having a lot of students participate because when you know you'll be providing a lot of lunches, you have economies of scale in terms of your purchasing. The average cost for a school lunch is $3.09 for each student. That adds up to anywhere from $446 to $662 per child for the entire school year. If fewer students qualify for free school meals, schools receive less federal reimbursement, making it harder to cover the cost of providing meals for all children. There are a lot of studies showing that children who are well-nourished are able to focus in school, are able to be successful in school. And so when you cut programs or reduce access to things like school breakfast and school lunch, you're definitely increasing the students who are not going to be able to access a balanced meal. School lunch might be the most reliable meal many students receive in a day. So for families living paycheck to paycheck, it can be challenging. Kevin Hardy is a writer who's been researching this issue extensively. If you just think about how expensive it is to go to the grocery store or go to a restaurant, for an average family, schools face those same pressures. They're paying more for people to prepare the food. They're paying more to get that food in. He says when children are not fed at school, the responsibility often falls on already financially strapped food banks and community organizations to fill the gaps. And those subsidies... Those not only benefited the people purchasing, but they also benefited those ranchers and farmers that were selling the products both to schools and to food banks. So I think it will ultimately end up really harming local economies. Dr. Schwartz says there's also concern with less funding schools will turn to cheaper processed foods to cut costs. This not only affects the quality of meals, but also reduces demand for fresh local produce, again, making it harder for farmers and growers to compete and keep prices affordable. Holly Firfer, Scripps News Group, Atlanta.

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Breakdown