Here in Brazil "Merenda" (which is basically what this article describes, a meal available to all schoolkids and teenagers) has been part of our culture and politics for decades so reading this...
The program comes at a crucial time, with food costs rising, inflation and an overall increase in children facing hunger since the pandemic. According to Feeding America, an estimated 13 million children (1 in 6), may have experienced food insecurity in 2021.
California is the first state to promise all 6 million public school students free meals thanks to the landmark state budget agreement Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law last July after the passage of Assembly Bill 130.
Here in Brazil "Merenda" (which is basically what this article describes, a meal available to all schoolkids and teenagers) has been part of our culture and politics for decades so reading this kinda surprised me.
California’s State Meal Mandate is expanded to include both a nutritiously adequate breakfast and lunch for, not just needy children, but all children each school day.
High poverty schools will be required to participate in the federal provision.
The California State Legislature allocates funds to provide additional state meal reimbursement to cover the cost of the Universal Meals Program.
In the US, or at least where I grew up, lots of kids brought lunch from home, with some kids buying a hot lunch instead, and poor students having subsidized or free lunch. I ate peanut butter and...
In the US, or at least where I grew up, lots of kids brought lunch from home, with some kids buying a hot lunch instead, and poor students having subsidized or free lunch. I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for years, except on pizza days.
Switching to providing lunch for everyone seems quite reasonable, although often kids are finicky so they might want something else.
IDK, at least where I went the school lunch was better than the sandwiches and snacks I was packed for daycare from home (which were your standard sandwich + fruit + snack) when I went to daycare,...
IDK, at least where I went the school lunch was better than the sandwiches and snacks I was packed for daycare from home (which were your standard sandwich + fruit + snack) when I went to daycare, not to disparage my parents at all who delivered solid lunches when they had the time. It was usually kid-friendly fast-foody thing, milk, juice, fruit, and frozen fruit pop thing for lunch, and some sort of breakfast pastry (honestly, conchas in southern California most likely), milk, juice and fruit for breakfast. My divorced parents weren't broke enough to not afford similar, but they definitely ate better than two separate working parents had the time to provide and it was surprisingly kid-friendly. I don't even relate to the old meme of cafeteria food being bad because it was always pretty decent, centrally produced/distributed heated stuff. Though, not every experience will be mine, but I'll stress that I went to one of the lowest income schools in my district.
Sometimes California does some dumb stuff - or "good intentions, bad execution". But this just seems like a good idea and hard to screw up.
A reason I never want to leave California is we seem to at least try.
Here in Brazil "Merenda" (which is basically what this article describes, a meal available to all schoolkids and teenagers) has been part of our culture and politics for decades so reading this kinda surprised me.
In the US, or at least where I grew up, lots of kids brought lunch from home, with some kids buying a hot lunch instead, and poor students having subsidized or free lunch. I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for years, except on pizza days.
Switching to providing lunch for everyone seems quite reasonable, although often kids are finicky so they might want something else.
IDK, at least where I went the school lunch was better than the sandwiches and snacks I was packed for daycare from home (which were your standard sandwich + fruit + snack) when I went to daycare, not to disparage my parents at all who delivered solid lunches when they had the time. It was usually kid-friendly fast-foody thing, milk, juice, fruit, and frozen fruit pop thing for lunch, and some sort of breakfast pastry (honestly, conchas in southern California most likely), milk, juice and fruit for breakfast. My divorced parents weren't broke enough to not afford similar, but they definitely ate better than two separate working parents had the time to provide and it was surprisingly kid-friendly. I don't even relate to the old meme of cafeteria food being bad because it was always pretty decent, centrally produced/distributed heated stuff. Though, not every experience will be mine, but I'll stress that I went to one of the lowest income schools in my district.