Federal Government Looking to Feed Public School Students 3 Meals Per Day Year Round

[rangerrebew]

Federal Government Looking to Feed Public School Students 3 Meals Per Day Year Round

(CNSNews.com) – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Tuesday that his agency is looking for “creative ways” to give public school students access to more meals, including a way to provide them breakfast, lunch and dinner year round.

“We have focused on efforts to try to figure out ways in which we can expand in those time periods when youngsters may not have access to school meals,” Vilsack said in remarks at the liberal Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. That includes giving students access to meals “across the school day, across the school year and across the calendar year,” he said.

“We’ve looked for creative ways to potentially here in the D.C. area and the state of Virginia an opportunity to take a look at what would happen if all three meals were available for young people,” Vilsack said.

Vilsack spoke ahead of the Sept. 30 expiration date for federally funding the Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010, which pays for USDA’s school meal and child nutrition programs —including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

The programs are generally reauthorized for five-year periods, according to the National Conference of State Legislators [1].

In April, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced that the number of summer meals provided to children increased by millions between 2012 and 2014.

“In 2013, FNS targeted efforts in five States to improve access to summer meals and, as a result, FNS served seven million more meals than in summer 2012,” the announcement stated. “An additional six States were targeted in summer 2014 and FNS met its goal of serving an additional 10 million meals over summer 2013.”
Source URL: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/penny-starr/vilsack-govt-looking-creative-ways-feed-public-school-students-all-three

[rangerrebew]

This is another scam by the federalies.  They know damn well that someone will sue to get meals for students in Christian, private, and schools of choice - and win.  Public schools already have to provide transportation, why not meals?  It is how the feds plan to get their mitts on schools they don't yet control and we know this administration to be hostile to schools of choice in particular.

[libertybele]

This is another scam by the federalies.  They know damn well that someone will sue to get meals for students in Christian, private, and schools of choice - and win.  Public schools already have to provide transportation, why not meals?  It is how the feds plan to get their mitts on schools they don't yet control and we know this administration to be hostile to schools of choice in particular.

Here in Florida all public school students already receive free breakfast for those students in the before school program and currently lunch is available at a discounted price or free depending on the financial situation of the parents.  By next year, ALL students regardless of their financial situation will receive free breakfast and lunch.

The free breakfast for all students was implemented several years ago and the reduced/free lunch  program has been going on for at least the past 15 years.  In that time to the best of my knowledge I have not heard of any private or Christian school suing the government for government food.

My concern is the content of the lunches; some of the items offered are high in fat and transfats as well as sodium.  It used to be kids that had to eat lunch at a reduced rate were made fun of; now if you bring lunch from home kids are looked at kind of strangely.  I've heard rumors that home lunches were inspected and scoffed at by some teachers.

The biggest concern I see in the future with this is our government further implementing socialistic values in the school systems.  Granted this area was hit very hard during the housing collapse, unemployment was very high and a lot of kids were going without breakfast or lunch but parents have become reliant on not having to afford lunch and breakfast for their kids regardless of their incomes.  Another concern in the back of my mind is once the entire systems switches over to free government food for all ... what will they really be feeding our kids??  Will they demand that all kids eat a school lunch and not be allowed to bring a lunch from home? I think that lawsuits over mandatory consumption of school lunches seems more likely in the future.

[musiclady]

Our church helps feed hungry school kids healthy foods over the weekends during the school year.

One of the aims of this massive socialist government is to harm charitable giving in order to keep all the power within the government's control.

This is just another step.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with caring about school kids.

[aligncare]

Don't forget free universal pre-K (no means testing), already here in New York City.

Plus, breakfast and lunch this summer was free for anyone under 18. No questions asked. Free lunch for all! A chicken in every pot. Sounds familiar.

[aligncare]

Parents let their children starve. Government comes in and rescues them. Get the message?

[libertybele]

Our church helps feed hungry school kids healthy foods over the weekends during the school year.

One of the aims of this massive socialist government is to harm charitable giving in order to keep all the power within the government's control.

This is just another step.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with caring about school kids.

Agreed...another step towards government control and socialism.  The churches in my area also help out the school kids during the summer with food, those in need  of food throughout the year, and an additional food program for the elderly.

[libertybele]

Don't forget free universal pre-K (no means testing), already here in New York City.

Plus, breakfast and lunch this summer was free for anyone under 18. No questions asked. Free lunch for all! A chicken in every pot. Sounds familiar.

We have free VPK (voluntary pre-kindergarten) in this area as well, however, the Christian schools are given money by the State to provide this program to their kids as well and I think it is an excellent program. I also see it as a way for the churches to introduce kids to Christianity and their church.  Whether or not the Christian schools sued in order to get the same funds I am not sure.

[aligncare]

We have free VPK (voluntary pre-kindergarten) in this area as well, however, the Christian schools are given money by the State to provide this program to their kids as well and I think it is an excellent program. I also see it as a way for the churches to introduce kids to Christianity and their church.  Whether or not the Christian schools sued in order to get the same funds I am not sure.

NYC and churches are not on a first name basis.

[EC]

Hmm. Hillary wasn't kidding that your kids aren't yours, was she.

[raml]

Then take the money out of food stamps already given to the parents. This is ridiculous most of these parents are given food stamps and just spend it on junk food there needs to be some control here for heavens sake there is no money for this we are trillions in debt it  is time for government accountability before this country goes the way of Greece.

[flowers]

Cradle to grave, another goal on the list won by them.

[mountaineer]

Our church helps feed hungry school kids healthy foods over the weekends during the school year.

One of the aims of this massive socialist government is to harm charitable giving in order to keep all the power within the government's control.

This is just another step.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with caring about school kids.

Our church does this, too. It's called "weekend backpack buddies," and we send about 60 kids at the closest elementary school home each Friday with a bag full of food. Why? Because their worthless parents use the welfare/EBT/disability benefits the taxpayers so generously provide to get drugs so they can sit around stoned all weekend while their children starve. Some local schools here offered lunch this past summer. There was a time if you failed to feed your children, those children were put into a healthier environment. Now, the poor kids have to take care of themselves while mom and her companion du jour occupy themselves with something other than childcare.

[musiclady]

Our church does this, too. It's called "weekend backpack buddies," and we send about 60 kids at the closest elementary school home each Friday with a bag full of food. Why? Because their worthless parents use the welfare/EBT/disability benefits the taxpayers so generously provide to get drugs so they can sit around stoned all weekend while their children starve. Some local schools here offered lunch this past summer. There was a time if you failed to feed your children, those children were put into a healthier environment. Now, the poor kids have to take care of themselves while mom and her companion du jour occupy themselves with something other than childcare.

That's the situation here too.  Ours is called "Blessings in a Backpack" (Sounds like a nearly identical program).

The Church being the Church while the parents have abdicated responsibility.

With our leftist government's aid and blessing........