Washington ∙ Many benefits that were started in the United States following Covid have ended. Financial aid schemes and free meals for school children were ended. Food stamps, which had been given to 30 million poor Americans, were also abolished.
According to the Department of Agriculture, 10 percent of the US population does not get enough food. Among them are 90 lakh children. No hungry child is sent away from school cafeterias without being fed. But the debt of unpaid meals is increasing day by day. Schools say it’s hard to get going without funding.
Children from poorer families are likely to receive free or reduced-price school meals, as they did before Covid-19. Application must be made for this. Necessary documents should be found and submitted. The application may also be rejected. If the application is denied, it may take months to appeal and receive a decision.
‘It’s hard to pay attention in class when you’re hungry’ – these are the words of Fabian Aguirre, a fourth-grader at the VH Lassen Academy of Science and Nutrition School in South Phoenix. Hundreds of thousands of school children, like Fabian, need proper nutrition for healthy growth.
Jillian Meyer, director of the No Kid Hungry organization, said there are fears of repercussions if they are not legal immigrants if they provide information on the application form. After federal funding stopped, almost all states stopped providing free meals to school children. Only a few states, like California, continue the program at their own expense.
English Summary: Nationwide federal free lunch program in US schools ended