By Richard E. Besser and Jamie Bussel, The Hill, July 28, 2021
All schools participating in our nation’s school meals programs may serve free meals to all students for the upcoming school year, not just to those qualifying via family income. Known as universal school meals, this one-year expansion is a product and recognition of the economic and social upheaval caused by COVID-19. But the value of good nutrition to children, families and schools is long-term and profound. Universal school meals should be permanent.
Our nation has a history of addressing shortfalls during periods of crisis, only to let them reaccumulate once the dust has settled. If we take that path with universal school meals, we will be repeating that predictable cycle. Ending this support would say a lot — none of it favorable — about how we prioritize the needs of children and families in America, and in particular, our commitment to undoing the damage caused by structural racism and discrimination against children and families of color. As a national health philanthropy, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) believes we must take this bold step for all children and families.
Food insecurity — or inconsistent access to enough food for everyone in a household — is not a new phenomenon: for the past two decades, at least one of every 10 households in the U.S. have experienced hunger every year, with the highest rates being seen in rural areas. The pandemic and the resulting economic fallout have exacerbated the problem. While food insecurity has improved somewhat since spiking early during the pandemic, it is estimated that as many as 42 million Americans, including 13 million children, will experience food insecurity in 2021, with a disproportionate impact on families of color.
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