Advocates Say a Hungry Summer Looms if Congress Can’t Extend School Meal Waivers

A USDA spokesperson said the agency does not have projections for how many summer meals will be served this summer, but No Kid Hungry estimates that one in five sites that served meals in summer of 2021 will be ineligible to do so this year, and that nearly 7 million children could lose access to meals this summer.

April 1, 2023 | Source: FERN's Ag Insider | by Bridget Huber

Summer is always the hungry season for America’s children — when school is not in session, many students don’t get enough to eat. But anti-hunger groups are warning this summer could be worse than usual, since many schools have been forced to scale back or eliminate their summer meals programs because the waivers that vastly expanded access to school food during the pandemic are set to expire on June 30, unless Congress takes action.

“We are very, very concerned that millions of kids are going to lose access to meals this summer,” said Crystal FitzSimons, director of School and Out-of-School-Time Programs at the Food Research & Action Center.

On Wednesday, House Appropriations Committee chair Rosa DeLauro said the House “will be doing something” to extend the waivers, but there is considerable opposition to additional spending from Republicans. In a tweet on Thursday, Rules Committee chair Jim McGovern said he is working with Speaker Nancy Pelosi to extend the waivers.