Source: The Huffington Post
New legislation was recently approved that will make it more difficult for low-income children to receive free lunches at school, as introduced by Rep. Todd Rokita. The new legislation challenged what was previously a successful provision in community eligibility for school lunches, raising qualifications drastically.
Initially the program would approve districts to provide free lunches for all students if at least 40 percent or more of students received government assistance. The new provision will raise that qualification to 60 percent of the students, leaving 3.4 million students without free lunches. While there is the possibility that students can apply for free lunches if their school is not approved, the new provision would make it increasingly difficult for them to take advantage of the benefit, as parents hesitate to file for financial assistance or provide income information. For children who already qualify and might, because not everyone in their school is low-income, not qualify anymore — it will be an extra complication to stress about in school.
“It’s hard to take something away once you’ve given that to people and your families have come to rely on that service. I think it’s a terrible disservice to our families,” said Sara Gasiorowski, child nutrition director at the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township in Indianapolis, as reported by the Huffington Post.
Read full story at: The Huffington Post