COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY DOES MORE THAN BATTLE HUNGER

Community eligibility, which helps schools provide free meals to all students if at least 40% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, is available to schools nationwide starting this fall. Several of the program’s provisions have helped participating schools reduce administrative costs. Families don’t have to complete applications or provide information on their income, and schools don’t have to process those applications or have a cashier figure out whether to provide a free or reduced-price meal every time a child goes through the lunch line. Plus, students who aren’t hungry exhibit fewer behavioral problems while their attentiveness and school attendance increases, and they don’t have to worry about the stigma attached to receiving free meals And the drop in per-meal cost that occurs when more children receive school meals helps cover the cost of providing those meals. Schools in Connecticut have until June 30, 2014 to decide on implementing community eligibility.

 

Source: Talk Poverty, 5/20/14, Community Eligibility