End Childhood Hunger - Ideas for Change in America

One part of the solution could be to provide universal free breakfast and lunch meals to all students of schools that participate in the USDA National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast program. Most of the infrastructure to provide the meals is already in place.

There may be some additional equipment needs to be funded and there will certainly need to be adequate federal (USDA) reimbursement to the participating schools for the meals served. In addition, the reimbursement rates must be tied to some inflationary measure so that food costs do not outpace the increases in the reimbursement rates.

Of course, this is only part of the solution. Universal free meals served at schools only account for 2 meals a day for approximately 180 days per year. But it is a start. And if USDA nutritional guidelines are followed in the preparation of those meals, it is a healthy start as well. - by Don Buck