Hot Topic (8/28): Should the school lunch program be abolished?

[Cafe GroupAdmin]

 An excerpt from Townhall.com:, written by Burt Prelutsky

"Recently, thanks to Michael Medved, I learned that the federal government spends well over eight billion dollars a year supplying over 30 million school children with “free” lunches and another two-and-a-half billion on “free” breakfasts. And what I, as a concerned citizen, would like to know is why they’re forcing the parents to be responsible for putting dinner on the table. Okay, I admit I’m joshing. But how long will it be before the leftists demand to know why the feds are shucking their obvious responsibility just because the sun has gone down? And just how long before FDR’s heirs in Washington launch their own version of the New Deal called Three Square Meals?

What I’d really like to know is: why haven’t public services removed those millions of kids from their homes? I mean, if parents can’t afford to give their children a couple of eggs or a banana and a bowl of cereal in the morning or an apple and a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich for lunch, what other essentials can’t they afford to provide for their kids? A bed? A blanket? Shoes? A tooth brush?""

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Information from the government website:

Participation
During the 2006-07 school year, 30.5 million children participated in the National School Lunch Program through more than 99,800 schools and residential child care institutions. On a typical school day, almost 18 million of these 30.5 million total participants were receiving free or reduced price lunches.

Eligibility
All public and non-profit private schools (regardless of tuition) and all Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs) can participate in the National School Lunch Program. School boards must apply to their state education agency in order to institute a program. All students in these schools may participate in the lunch program. However, household income determines whether they receive free meals, reduced price meals (the maximum price to the student's family is 40 cents), or "paid" meals, for which students pay most of the cost (the federal government pays a modest amount for administrative costs).

For children at participating schools there are two ways to qualify for free or reduced price meals in the NSLP.

1. Direct Certification/ Categorical Eligibility
   If a household currently receives Food Stamps, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), or participates in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) the children in that household are eligible for free school meals. This is called categorical eligibility. Homeless, runaway and migrant children are also automatically eligible for free school meals. Children that are categorically eligible do not need to complete paper applications.
   
2. Income-based Eligibility
   If a household's total income is below a certain amount, the children in that household can eat free or at a very reduced price. To receive free meals, household income must fall below 130 percent of poverty. For reduced-price meals, household income must be between 130 and 185 percent of the federal poverty level. This is called income-based eligibility.
   
   Reimbursements and Funding
   In FY 2006, federal spending totaled $7.4 billion for the National School Lunch Program. This federal support comes in the form of a cash reimbursement for each meal served.

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Your response?

Michael Medved questions why families who already receive food stamps ought to be provided "free" school lunches.  Do you agree or disagree with him?

What do you think about this $8 billion program? 

Should the federal government be responsible for feeding over 30 million American children each year? 

[momandvet]

What kind of country is this?  Are we seriously going to make a fuss, because  children are being fed? 

No concern for the trillions pumped into the military industrial complex.  Instead lets pitch a fit, because some children are getting free food.  OMG! killing people and occupying countries=OKAY  Feeding Children=bad

We have the worst set of priorities.

[Goodwoman614]

Wow, where's the looney "Libertarians" and their rants on this?

[lilyrose73]

For 7 years I taught 3rd grade in an inner city school where 80% of our students qualified for free or reduced lunch and breakfast.  For many of these kids, the meals they eat at school are the only ones they eat all day.  I am sure, as with all Government programs, there is money being wasted in some capacity.  Instead of getting rid of this program they should audit it to see where money can be saved (like the tons of paperwork required to participate).  You can't take food away from kids...

[Imsupermom2]

I don't think they should quit feeding peoples children anymore then I think they should stop taking care of our elderly...BUT...we all know how they feel about that, don't we?.... 

[rubyjro13]

I'm Sorry my children qualify for free lunch, I take the resposibility to feed them breakfast and dinner. My children don't go without. The kids who usually get free or reduced are the families who get foodstamps or help from the state. I make about 100 dollars more than I should to get assisstants. So wow your going to really put that out there that social services should go to my house, and make sure my kids are alright. I have pics of my children who get free lunch, go ahead and look do I look like scum of the earth or a bad mother??? I think you need to educate your self on bigger issues in this country if your going to put it out there like that.

[katamaid]

Drop the paperwork  ( save money ) feed the kids......if they"re hungry they are not going to do well in school anyway. What I do not understand is the food stamp program, the kids eat breakfast and lunch at school, yet the parents Still yet food stamps to provide this also? I also know down here they also have a "backpack" program where they send food home with the kids too ( so they don't go hungry ).........Yet , I have been approached , more than once, while shopping to buy the food stamps for 50% on the dollar...WTH????

[Butter331]

I was that poor kid growing up who got a free or reduced price lunch. My mom was a single parent with four children to provide for. She didn't qualify for public assistance because she worked at least two jobs and got child support from my stepfather for my younger brother. We didn't qualify when I got to high school so I would bring my lunch or just go without until I found a job and started contributing too. She was able to feed us at home, I was never starved, but this program was most certainly a relief to her. I would never agree with taking food out of a child's mouth. 

[grammie6]

Why is it so horrible to make sure kids are getting fed...For the first time in 22 years I almost had to apply for this for my 14 y/o son....My husband and I both lost our jobs this summer luckily my husband has found another job.....My daughter's husband lost his job so they actually qualified for this program....My family has been paying taxes for over 100 years cumulatively, why shouldn't we start using social programs if we qualify???  As someone else pointed out, there is plenty of waste in our government, this program is not one of them...

[ArmyGal]

Well I said this in the other post about children's school lunch. People want 5 star gourmet meals  for our children, not realizing 30 million of the children get free lunch. 2.5 billion free breakfast. I don't think they should get rid of the program, but why so many people complaining about what they are being fed when essentially their children is getting a "free meal"?

[247mamaandwife]

NO way ! I think that would be reckless and crule to the children that are from lower income familys and sadly that may be the only meal they can get that day during  the school year and to take that away is more then wrong