Hunger in schools remains a difficult stumbling block for very poor children. One of the growing trends, at least in Los Angeles County Schools, is offering of an after school snack or evening meal. This was done as a part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.
During the 2014 fiscal year, there were around 104 million dinners provided to students. This is, of course, a bit lower than the breakfast and lunch programs which are offered, but it’s starting to gain some traction throughout the nation.
According to experts, the idea makes sense. There are children who are staying on campus after hours for their after-school activities, and their family’s income level means that they might not receive dinner.
Currently, there are around 75,000 students who receive their dinner from the school. This program is expected to be doubled over the next couple of years. The revenue generated from the programs are expected to be filtered back to it.
“When kids are hungry, they don’t pay attention. This is something that should have started years ago,” said a member of the LA unified school district board. This type of plan just makes sense to fill in the gaps that happen for the poorest of students.
This type of expansion should prove to be beneficial for those who are employed in the kitchens of the LA USD. By expanding the hours and offering after school snacks, kitchen workers have to be there longer. We’re hoping that the after school dinner program fully succeeds.
Los Angeles joins trend of schools offering evening meals to children was posted in the Guardian on January 15th.
