Feed the children

“In 2014, the federal government spent about $20 billion to reimburse schools, child care centers, and after-school programs for children’s meals. Those programs benefit mainly school-age children from low-income households. . . Under current law, the Congressional Budget Office projects, spending would rise to about $31 billion in nominal dollars by 2025. Adjusted for expected inflation, that value represents an increase of 26 percent over 2014 spending.”

But . . .

“The effects of participating in NSLP, SBP, or other child nutrition programs on children’s nutritional intake, health outcomes, and educational achievement are unclear. Researchers studying that question have often reached conflicting or inconclusive results, in large part because it is often difficult to isolate the effects of the
program from those of other factors.”

Imagine.  Spending $20 billion and having no idea if it helps or hurts or does nothing at all.

https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/114th-congress-2015-2016/reports/50737-ChildNutrition.pdf

Don’t blame First Nanny.

Michelle Obama is getting a lot of blame for the unpopular features in some school lunch programs, First Nanny, etc. and maybe that's a popular political stance for the anti-Obama crowd, but this type of government manipulation of food and nutrition goes waaaay back, first for farmers to pay for over production after WWII, then the low-come and poor, and the last two decades for the middle class purchasing processed and food-away-from home. Here's testimony from early in the GW Bush administration (2003). At that time it was thought "educating" people through labeling, media campaigns, health literacy and promotion would reduce obesity. And perhaps it did, because obesity in children slowed down about 10 years ago.

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/news/testimony/obesity07162003.html

Looking back 40 years to the 1960s, when many of us in this room were children, just over four percent of 6- to 17-year-olds were overweight. Since then, that rate has more than tripled, to over 15 percent. And the problem doesn’t go away when children grow up. Nearly three out of every four overweight teenagers may become overweight adults.

I’m not willing to stand by and let that happen. American children deserve much better than being condemned to a lifetime of serious, costly, and potentially fatal medical complications associated with excess weight.

Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S.
Surgeon General
U.S. Public Health Service
Acting Assistant Secretary for Health
Department of Health and Human Services

July 16, 2003

You'd have to be really desperate

to choose reduced price meals or free meals for your children at school. Take a look at these forms. Here. and Here. and Here. A reduced price meal is possible for an income of $55,482 for a family of 6 (185% of Federal poverty level). That would be well above median income ($49,445). For free meals it is 130% of the Federal poverty level, or about $39,000. See USA Today.

Other tid-bits from different school districts:

MAY I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN? Yes. You or your child(ren) do not have to be U.S. citizens to qualify for free or reduced price meals.

Breakfast is available at Campbell High School and costs $1.50. Lunch costs $1.75 at Griffin Memorial School and $2.00 at both Litchfield Middle School and Campbell High School. Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals. Reduced price is $.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch.

CAN HOMELESS, RUNAWAY, AND MIGRANT CHILDREN GET FREE MEALS? Yes, children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant qualify for free meals. If you haven’t been told your children will get free meals, please call or e-mail xxxxxxxxxx, Director of Food Services, to see if they qualify.

Foods and beverages on campus (including vending, concessions, a la carte, student stores, parties, and fundraising) during the school day are consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and comply with legislative requirements. [Which would probably cover sack lunches which were recently in the news.]

Q: What happens if a family does not submit a Meal Benefits Application?
A: Children in the household must pay full price for breakfast and lunch.

Q: If I move to Milwaukee Public Schools from another school district where my children received free or reduced meal benefits, do I have to reapply here to continue to receive benefits?
A: Yes! If you move to MPS from another school district, you must complete a new application. Meal eligibility status does not transfer to MPS. If your children transfer from one school to another within MPS, their status would remain the same.