Free meals for all Detroit schoolchildren in fall

[demmiblue]

Source: Detroit Free Press


All Detroit Public Schools students will receive free breakfast, lunch and snacks in an effort to remove the stigma of being from a low-income family.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture program chose Michigan as one of three states to participate in the pilot program. Charter schools and districts in Michigan can participate if at least 40% of students are eligible for public assistance.

“One of the primary goals of this program is to eliminate the stigma that students feel when they get a free lunch, as opposed to paying cash,” said DPS Chief Operating Officer Mark Schrupp. “Some students would skip important meals to avoid being identified as low-income. Now, all students will walk through a lunch line and not have to pay. Low-income students will not be easily identifiable and will be less likely to skip meals.”

<snip>

The Community Eligibility Option is among the early reforms enacted under President Obama’s Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which authorized the USDA to select up to three states to test the option in School Year 2011-12. A main factor in choosing the finalists was the prevalence of high-poverty areas. The option will be offered to more states in successive years, and will be available to all states beginning School Year 2014-15.


http://www.freep.com/article/20110816/NEWS01/110816004/

[virgogal]

1. When did being from a low-income family become a stigma? I was from one

and never felt like an outsider.

So now even well off folks can get free meals?

Makes no sense.

[Horse with no Name]

6. I don't mind feeding ALL kids regardless of income level.

I think that is an investment in our kids. Many kids go hungry for whatever reason. This is SOCIALISM and I LOVE it...and I would expect those that are benefiting from this will love it too...regardless of political affiliation.

[RandySF]

18. +100

This is what it means for me to be a Democrat!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. How many "well off" families actually send their children to Detroit Public Schools

[virgogal]

17. Couldn't tell you,but as the OP states other areas will participate also.

[LeftyMom]

20. If their poverty level is high enough. nt

[LeftyMom]

19. So if you weren't ashamed then nobody is?

Good to know.

[spinbaby]

25. Happened during the Reagan era

Back in the 70s, it was perfectly honorable to be poor. Nowadays, it's practically a crime.

[Travis_0004]

2. I'm sorry, but this is a stupid idea

Lets face it, we have some budget problems. There funds for food stamps are already spread thin. Why are we paying for free lunches for kids who can afford to pay for the lunch? If the percent of kids who can not afford a meal is really that high, I would assume there would be less stigma involved.

Why not issue a card, similar to a credit card, with the kids name/picture on it. If a kid is on free lunches, then the card has unlimited money on it. If a kid's parents can afford the lunches, then their parent has the option of adding funds to the same card, or paying cash. It would make it impossible for other kids to know who was actually on the free lunches, and it should be a lot cheaper.

[Horse with no Name]

7. BECAUSE this serves the greater good!

You really don't believe that if the school already qualifies for 40% of their students to have free lunches...that picking up the tab for the rest is going to be significantly more expensive?
I would suspect the cost of ONE bomb we drop in Afghanistan or Iraq would cover every kid in this school to eat free for the entire year.
I LOVE it! Would love to see this across the nation.

Besides...THIS is a stimulus. Schools can use federal money for their lunch programs which means more money for salaries, etc...and the parents (and ALL of us have been struggling) receive a little bit of stimulus along with it too.

What I spend on lunches a month will buy me a tank of gas. I can surely use that.

Also--schools that have that HIGH of poverty rates--let's get real--there aren't going to be that many rich kids attending.

[Shagbark Hickory]

12. Travis never said he supported dropping bombs in lieu of feeding kids who can afford to buy lunch.

As for your "also--", this is not about rich kids. This is merely about the 60% that can afford to buy their own lunch.

[RandySF]

21. Maybe it's the socialist in me

But this should be available to all regardless of income, a well as health care and pre-school.

[Shagbark Hickory]

23. Seeing as how this is the *Democratic* Underground and not the *Socialist* Underground, don't be

surprised to find democratic, rather than socialist, viewpoints here.

Furthermore, in order to have socialist programs like lunch for all kids, there needs to be a lot more taxation going on and the states and fed currently has no plans to increase revenue with the type of taxation scheme that would permit this. Without jumping to conclusions, I believe their complaint dealt more with the reality of limited resources to go around and seemingly unlimited need.

[Horse with no Name]

28. It's not "Republican" Underground either, yet.....

LOTS of "republican viewpoints" being pushed. Such as finding money to bomb people thousands of miles away, yet an unwillingness to feed hungry kids in our own backyard.

[Shagbark Hickory]

29. I offer no warranty, either expressed or implied about any other viewpoints found at DU.

I am merely pointing out an obvious misinterpretation of their reply.

If the economy collapses- which, lets be frank- has basically happened in michigan, and everyone is forced to live in grass huts in a village and share and manage limited resources, you have to distribute resources that are most in need.

I'm all about equality but in such a depressed location with obviously limited resources, based on everything that I've read, there's just not enough to go around simply to keep children from getting picked on about being poor when there are obvious other solutions.

[Shagbark Hickory]

9. Everything you just said.

[femmocrat]

3. There is no reason for anyone to know who receives a free lunch.

Detroit is just doing it wrong. In our district, all students just punch in an ID number. Purchased lunches are pre-paid by the parents. The kids do not have to carry any cash. Parents who owe lunch money are sent a statement in the mail. Unless the kids talk about it, it is completely confidential. Teachers don't even know which students receive free or reduced lunch.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. That is a very cool way to do it

[Sherman A1]

4. When I was in High School

I worked in the cafeteria for 3 of the 4 years doing cleanup & dishwashing for my "Free" lunch. Did it to help my Mom cut expenses just a little bit by saving the lunch money. Had to gobble down my food in half the lunch period to get to the dish machine, but it really wasn't all that bad.

[Horse with no Name]

5. I think this is wonderful

There are very few people in the middle and lower classes that aren't struggling. I think this is a nice stimulus for everyone--one with REAL benefits.

:thumbsup:

I'd like to see more of this across the nation.


But I suspect that this isn't to relieve the stigma from those that are already poor--but yet to lessen the sting from those that are newly poor...and to keep those that are too proud to admit their kids need free lunches from letting their pride get in the way.

Either way...the kids get fed and that is a really good and positive thing.

[Merlot]

8. Good point:

"But I suspect that this isn't to relieve the stigma from those that are already poor--but yet to lessen the sting from those that are newly poor...and to keep those that are too proud to admit their kids need free lunches from letting their pride get in the way."

What's most important is making sure kids don't go hungry...

[demmiblue]

13. You make a great point about this type of program have a stimulative effect.

Putting more money into the pockets of the poor is a good thing!


I was perusing the Act's fact sheet and found that the bullet points related to increased access are worth highlighting:

- Increases the number of eligible children enrolled in school meal programs by approximately 115,000 students by using Medicaid data to directly certify children who meet income requirements.

- Helps certify an average additional 4,500 students per year to receive school meals by setting benchmarks for states to improve the certification process.

- Allows more universal meal access for eligible students in high poverty communities by eliminating paper applications and using census data to determine school-wide income eligibility.

- Expands USDA authority to support meals served to at-risk children in afterschool programs.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/Child_Nutrition_Fact_Sheet_12_10_10.pdf

[Bozita]

15. Exporting our 'freedoms' while kids go hungry here is the height of hypocricy

You're spot on, Horse!

We're a far better nation feeding our young than by

[OneGrassRoot]

14. I also think this is wonderful. K&R n/t

[FLyellowdog]

16. Since the law says children have to attend school,

I think it's only fair that they get meals free.

But on the other hand, with electronic payment in some districts, it's not as apparent nowadays who gets free/reduced lunch. :hi:

[demmiblue]

24. I think the article was poorly written in that it was focused on the stigma aspect.

I think the primary purpose of the program is to increase access to nutritious meals in poverty stricken areas.

Those families outside of the current eligibility requirements in these areas may be facing additional issues, such as access to fresh and nutritious foods. Detroit, for example, is quite the food desert. Of course there may be other barriers, such as feelings of shame, lack of nutritional education, not receiving/submitting the appropriate paperwork, etc.


Edit: :hi:

[hunter]

22. We've had free lunches in our school district forever.

My kids had free lunches in elementary school, even though we could have easily paid for their lunches...

... but we did pay, in taxes, and this was an excellent use of the taxes we paid.

So many kids qualify for free lunches in our district it would have been an utter waste of MY tax money keeping track of who was who, and demeaning to all the kids of our community. Very few kids had school lunches every day, since even the least secure kids will sometimes bring a lunch, but free lunches assure that no kid will go hungry, not my kids, not anyone's kids.

We can let the uber-wealthy suck up all the money and not let it circulate within our communities, which ultimately destroys our communities, or we can tax those who can afford in support of our communities, in support of our nation.

Somehow we can spend trillions on military misadventures, useless aircraft carriers, defective stealth fighters, bank bailouts, etc., etc. etc., but we can't afford to feed any kid who is hungry?

That's fucking pathetic. That's fucking third world where kleptocrats live in isolated islands of luxury surrounded by hungry people who have nothing.

[Bunny]

26. Good!

I can't abide anyone who would begrudge food to a kid, even if his/her family is not desperately poor. Middle class families struggle too, and even if they can technically afford the lunches, this will free up that money for other things, like perhaps heating oil for the winter. I understand it gets cold in Detroit...

[surrealAmerican]

27. It's probably a good idea for other reasons, but ...

... there tends to be much more of a social stigma to getting free lunch in schools where fewer children are eligible.

[glowing]

30. Even better would to have truly nutritious school lunches. Not sure if y'all watched

The show on ABC with the chef that pointed out just how unhealthy our school lunches actually r. Wish FLOTUS would address this issue.