Dinner Is Served: D.C. Schools Feed Some Students 3 Meals A Day

by Carol Scott · 2010-10-19 12:54:00 +0100
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Low-income kids in Washington D.C. may get a healthy dinner -- at school. To strike a blow against child hunger, D.C.'s public schools have started serving three meals a day to some students who can't get a meal anywhere else. This new early dinner program will feed 10,000 kids who may spend up to 10 hours a day at school in early-care and after-school programs.

An after-school snack of juice and a muffin wasn't enough for growing kids who are living in poverty. Too many D.C. students were going home with hungry bellies -- and some weren't being fed at home, school workers told the Washington Post. Alexandra Ashbrook, who directs nonprofit D.C. Hunger Solutions, said that some kids were even taking food home to feed their families.

Funded through the USDA's Child and Adult Food Care Program, this is a promising way to feed kids fruits and vegetables they may not be getting at home. It's also much-needed in D.C., where between 2008 and 2009, 40 percent of households reported not having enough money to buy food at least one time.

It's fantastic to see policies in action that are bringing salads, sandwiches, fruit and veggies to hungry kids. But it's disconcerting that just a few blocks away from D.C. public schools, Congress is considering paying for an increase in school lunch quality for all students by slashing the federal food stamp program. That's right -- Congress is considering passing legislation that would make lunches healthier and increase the number of children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches by cutting $2.2 billion from food stamps. Change.org's Sustainable Food Editor Sarah Parsons calls this "robbing Peter to pay Paul" -- and she's right. 

The economic downturn has meant that more families are relying on food stamps as they deal with unemployment and pay freezes. It makes no sense to improve food for children while cutting help to their struggling families. Talk about taking a step forward in order to step back.

 Tell Congress to find another way to fund the important work of improving school lunch. Sign our petition to Tell Congress: Don't Cut Food Stamps to Fund School Lunch Reform.

Photo credit: Pete

Carol Scott is the Education Editor for Change.org.
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