Democrats to USDA: Provide School Meals to Needy Children

Screenshot_2020-08-17usschoollunchstudentstwitter-GoogleSearch

[School Mail]
Rep. Scott\Sen. Stabenow: “As families grapple with economic hardship as a result of COVID-19, school meals are a lifeline for students…However, many students still face challenges accessing these meals when schools are closed.”
Photo: Twitter

Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use its full authority to provide healthy meals to students for the duration of the school year.

In the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Congress granted authority to the USDA to provide waivers that allow children to receive school meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. While several waivers have already been approved for the 2020-2021 school year, the Department has not extended flexibilities for several key programs that keep children fed while schools are closed and also reduce administrative burdens for schools.

“As families grapple with economic hardship as a result of COVID-19, school meals are a lifeline for students,” wrote the lawmakers. “Waivers have enabled schools to provide meal delivery, permitted families to take home multiple meals at once, and allowed for parent pick-up, among other innovative approaches to feeding children. However, many students still face challenges accessing these meals when schools are closed. As a result, participation in school meals has decreased during the pandemic, while the need has only increased.”

“If the Department truly intends to live up to its motto to ‘Do right and feed everyone,’ the Department must take every action possible to respond to this crisis,” the lawmakers wrote. “We urge the Department to immediately establish nationwide waivers, in accordance with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, on all of the remaining flexibilities through the 2020-2021 school year to provide certainty to schools and ensure that students can access healthy school meals during this unprecedented time.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *