{"id":53286,"date":"2023-09-25T01:00:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T08:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/?p=53286"},"modified":"2023-09-29T10:48:13","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T17:48:13","slug":"without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/","title":{"rendered":"Without Federal School-Meal Support, Lunch Shaming May Be Back on the Menu"},"content":{"rendered":"

A version of this article originally appeared in The Deep Dish, our members-only newsletter.\u00a0Become a member today<\/a>\u00a0and get the next issue directly in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

Before the pandemic, Elizabeth Santamour dreaded seeing a certain stack of envelopes once a month in her mailbox. A third-grade teacher in Scurlock, North Carolina, she was tasked with handing out past-due cafeteria bills to her students. <\/p><\/div>

\n

\u201cThe kids knew what they were taking home to their parents and the reaction they were going to get. They knew,\u201d Santamour said. \u201cI had kids who left them in their book bags for days. When I handed them to some kids, they\u2019d get upset. Others would refuse breakfast or lunch because of the expense they knew they were accruing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prior to the pandemic, some schools that were determined to manage school meal debt had resorted to tactics that embarrassed kids, such as stamping their hands to remind parents of unpaid bills and substituting cold cheese sandwiches for hot meals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Students and teachers nationwide had a two-year break from this pressure when federal pandemic waivers allowed free meals for all. That was followed by a transition year of higher per-meal reimbursements funded by the Keep Kids Fed Act<\/a>. But those expired in July. Now the burden of school meal debt begins again, at a time when experts are declaring a kids\u2019 mental health crisis<\/a> as a broad array of stressors, from gun violence to climate disasters, roil their world.<\/p>\n

The Education Data Initiative pegs the annual national public school meal debt at $262 million<\/a>. What\u2019s more, after free school meals for all ended, 67 percent of schools surveyed by the School Nutrition Association (SNA) reported an increase in stigma for low-income students<\/a> who often depend on those meals as a key source of nutrition.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchools, families, and states really did not want to go back to having the complicated school nutrition operations where some kids have access to free meals and other kids do not, and they have to struggle with unpaid debt,\u201d said Crystal FitzSimons, the director of school and out-of-school time programs at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).<\/p>\n

And in a small handful of states, they haven\u2019t gone back: Lawmakers in California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Vermont have made universally free school meals permanent<\/a>. But in the rest of the country, the return to paid school meals has also brought back a host of complications.<\/p>\n

Prior to the pandemic, some schools had resorted to tactics that embarrassed kids<\/a>, such as stamping their hands to remind parents of unpaid bills and substituting cold cheese sandwiches for hot meals. Sometimes meals were thrown out in front of the children. And while experts say that fewer districts have resumed these practices\u2014often dubbed \u201clunch shaming\u201d\u2014they haven\u2019t gone away entirely either.<\/p>\n

A Vicious Cycle of Debt and Stigma<\/h4>\n<\/div>

In general, schools have financed breakfast and lunch programs primarily through per-meal reimbursements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). To receive those reimbursements, which vary based on family income<\/a>, schools must provide meals that meet certain nutritional standards<\/a>. <\/p><\/div>

\n

Children in households with incomes at or up to 130 percent of the federal poverty level can receive free meals; those whose households have incomes between 130 and 185 percent are charged 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe certainly hear from school districts with large immigrant communities that there are lots of families who are uncomfortable filling out that application, but definitely need assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

School meal programs are expected to be self-sustaining, according to the SNA. Districts attempt to cover expenses with the federal reimbursements, as well as cafeteria sales from both full- and reduced-price meals. But that\u2019s been increasingly difficult as food and labor costs have risen. Plus, \u201cmany of the families who are eligible for reduced-price meals still struggle with that copay,\u201d noted Diane Pratt-Heavner, a spokesperson for the SNA.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s another rub. Families must apply for federally subsidized meals if they are not automatically eligible through programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). \u201cThese applications for free meal service have always been a barrier for eligible families,\u201d Pratt-Heavner added. For example, income information and the last four digits of a social security number are required. People who don\u2019t have a social security number must check a box declaring that fact.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe certainly hear from school districts with large immigrant communities that there are lots of families who are uncomfortable filling out that application, but definitely need assistance,\u201d said Pratt-Heavner. And schools need the reimbursements to help cover the cost of the meals.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Illustration by Nhatt Nichols. Click to enlarge.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

The application process can be a barrier for families in several ways. Juliana Cohen, an associate professor in the department of nutrition and public health at Merrimack College and an adjunct associate professor in the department of nutrition at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, said that completing the form is effectively saying, \u201cI can\u2019t afford to feed my child.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOftentimes these forms are on a brightly colored piece of paper. They say \u2018Free School Lunch Form.\u2019 And a parent has to give it to their child to bring back to the school to hand to their teacher. So, many parents are actually reluctant to even fill out the form. Additionally, there can be stigma for the child if they feel like they’re different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the pandemic reprieve from the application system, another challenge is that many families are now confused about what\u2019s required. If they don\u2019t apply, debt builds.<\/p>\n

Laura Milliken, executive director of New Hampshire Hunger Solutions<\/a>, believes that confusion is one of the drivers of the fast-growing meal debt among schools in her state. \u201cAs a result, we are hearing from schools that many of them have amassed quite high school meal debt from kids who eat and then families don’t pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Flurry of State Legislative Activity and Public Sentiment<\/h4>\n<\/div>

There was a wave of media coverage related to lunch shaming prior to the pandemic. And it appears to have had an impact. <\/p><\/div>

\n

\u201cPeople have a very visceral reaction to those stories, they get a lot of traction, and kids often have phones in school,\u201d which allowed them to document and share the stories themselves, said FitzSimons. After the spate of publicity, experts say the overt actions diminished.<\/p>\n

At least 20 states also have taken action against lunch shaming with specific legislation<\/a>, according to FRAC. North Dakota<\/a> is among the most recent, with a law signed in April that prohibits public identification or stigmatization of students whose parents have outstanding meal debt.<\/p>\n

But some anti-shaming bills have failed. In January, for example, a New Hampshire state representative introduced such a bill, and it was killed the following month. Another effort by legislators there\u2014a bill to raise the income threshold for reduced price lunches from 185 percent to 300 percent of the federal poverty level\u2014made it as far as a Senate committee, which recommended delaying a decision<\/a> until next year.<\/p>\n

And despite the gulf between states with universally free school meals and those without, it\u2019s clear that the pandemic put a spotlight on the importance of the role of schools in feeding the nation\u2019s children.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have been a lot of changes in recent years, including the recognition of the value of school meals to students\u2019 health and academic achievement<\/a>. In most schools across the country, kids, even if they don’t have money in their accounts, are getting some kind of meal,\u201d said Pratt-Heavner of the SNA. She added that she has seen a dramatic increase in unpaid meal debt, which is an indication that kids are being fed even if they don’t have money.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t encourage philanthropic solutions to policy problems. We need to address the systemic issues that make this generosity necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

There have also been a number of community-wide efforts to assist families that can’t pay for their school meals. In fact, over half of school districts have received charitable donations<\/a> to help pay off meal debt.<\/p>\n

People in Michigan<\/a> and Virginia<\/a> have started nonprofits focused solely on relieving school meal debt. Sometimes a local foundation, small business, or church<\/a> provides the funds and makes headlines. Individuals have stepped in as well.<\/p>\n

In August, a 14-year-old in Missouri<\/a> raised $400 to give to his former elementary school because he remembered not having enough money for lunch when he was there. In May, the New Hampshire family of a retired cafeteria worker who had died of cancer<\/a> sold her car for $3,000 and used the money to help pay off the school\u2019s meal debt. And at the end of last year, a former North Carolina school superintendent<\/a> donated $20,000 to help pay debts owed by low-income students.<\/p>\n

That school superintendent realized something many others probably don\u2019t. If debt remains, it must be paid out of the school district\u2019s general fund. \u201cThis can be the difference between being able to hire another teacher, aides, and the like for the classroom. And so, this has a profound impact on education,\u201d said Harvard\u2019s Cohen.<\/p>\n

But Morgan Wittman Gramann, executive director for the North Carolina Alliance for Health<\/a>, says private donations are a \u201ctemporary fix\u201d to a recurring problem. \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t encourage philanthropic solutions to policy problems. We need to address the systemic issues that make this generosity necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Vague\u2019 and Variable School District Policies<\/h4>\n<\/div>

In conversations with food service directors and parents, advocates say they\u2019re continuing to hear about lunch shaming. \u201cIt’s still occurring, but there’s just a lot of variation,\u201d said Cohen, who has multiple grants to examine school-based policies and is also director of the Nourish Lab<\/a>. <\/p><\/div>

\n

In an effort to measure the scope of the problem, a researcher at the University of North Carolina conducted an analysis of school district meal charge policies in the state. The policies posted online by districts were \u201cvague\u201d and \u201cvary in their willingness to allow meal charges, punishments, and implementation,\u201d<\/a> according to the report. Forty percent of school districts had a policy to serve those students \u201can alternative meal,\u201d typically without meat to reduce the cost.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve heard stories of some school districts that have created robocalls that call the parent every single night until the debt is paid off.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A local news station reported that when an alternative meal is served in North Carolina\u2019s Guilford County schools, for example, the district\u2019s executive director of school nutrition said that it “looks similar to the daily reimbursable meal<\/a> to avoid identifying that student.\u201d But the question remains: How does that alternative meal make the child feel?<\/p>\n

Some schools in the state have also singled out students who have a balance at the end of the year. In May, a middle school in Granville County, North Carolina, surprised parents with an email warning that students with unpaid meal bills would be excluded from certain end-of-the-year school events. “It’s just an effort to try to encourage our families to help us take care of these bills so that our local taxpayers don’t have to rely on clearing this up,\u201d the county\u2019s associate superintendent told a local ABC affiliate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Another tactic: robocalls. \u201cWe\u2019ve heard stories of some school districts that have created robocalls that call the parent every single night until the debt is paid off,\u201d said Cohen.<\/p>\n

In some places\u2014including Douglas County, Colorado<\/a>, and Knox County, Tennessee<\/a>\u2014debt collectors are even called in.<\/p>\n

All of this is in stark contrast to the best practices FRAC has developed on how schools should engage with households about school meal debt<\/a>. The group encourages contact to be made by \u201ctrusted school officials\u201d and warns against \u201charsh tactics,\u201d such as charging households added fees and withholding school records. According to FRAC, 20 states still have no legislation<\/a> addressing issues such as unpaid school meal fees and outreach programs.<\/p>\n

Mental Health Impact<\/h4>\n<\/div>

Experts agree that one of the most important reasons to provide free school meals is to reduce overall food insecurity in households, both for school children and their families. When school meals are free, resources can be shifted to meals at home. <\/p><\/div>

\n

School meals are about more than nutrition. Food insecurity affects mental health\u2014in fact, it can cause psychological distress. A 2019 study<\/a> conducted by University of California researchers explored the awareness levels and feelings of 60 San Francisco Bay Area children (aged 7 to 14 years) whose parent had reported household food insecurity during the previous year. It yielded \u201ceye-opening and impactful\u201d results, said Cindy Leung, the lead author.<\/p>\n

First of all, the children knew what was going on. \u201cThey know that their parents are struggling to put food on the table. . . . They notice when their parents are eating toast or cereal and they have eggs for breakfast. They know when their SNAP or WIC benefits are coming in and that\u2019s when they can ask for something they want at the grocery store. They know if they get free or reduced lunch,\u201d Leung said.<\/p>\n

Second, they experienced psychological impacts beyond stress and anxiety. Kids felt anger and frustration at not being able to have the foods they wanted, concern about their parents, loneliness because they couldn\u2019t talk to their friends about these problems, and embarrassment about how empty their refrigerators were.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we’re moving into now is wanting to call this a form of toxic stress,\u201d said Leung. That\u2019s a label that has been given to serious adverse events, like suffering from abuse, witnessing domestic violence, or experiencing a death of a family member.<\/p>\n

The pandemic, however, shined a light on the policy levers that can improve food security. \u201cWe saw the swiftness and efficiency with which we were able to provide food and economic support to families. It has shown that we can prevent food insecurity in children,\u201d said Leung, who is now an assistant professor of public health nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.<\/p>\n

What Free Meals for All Feels Like<\/h4>\n<\/div>

In addition to the eight states that have made universally free school meals permanent, a few states have temporary policies in place. For the 2023\u20132024 school year, for example, no public-school student in Nevada will have to pay for meals. And in at least 20 other states, legislators are working to pass bills to institute free school meals, according to FRAC<\/a>. <\/p><\/div>

\n

\u201cThere was also a huge increase in the number of schools providing free meals to all students through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP),\u201d FRAC\u2019s FitzSimons added. After experiencing the benefits of universally free school meals during the pandemic, close to 7,000 more schools adopted CEP<\/a> for 2022\u20132023, an increase of 20 percent over the previous year.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only are we providing all children nutrients, but universal free school meals reduce the stigma of who\u2019s accessing school meals.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

CEP allows a school or district to provide free meals if 40 percent or more of children are in a program such as SNAP or a category that includes homeless, migrant, and foster care children. With CEP, family members are not subjected to the stigma of filling out applications.<\/p>\n

Massachusetts is the most recent state to adopt universally free school meals. When Governor Maura Healey signed permanent funding for the program in August, she called it \u201can investment in childhood nutrition that\u2019s also removing a source of stress from our schools and our homes.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the 2022\u20132023 school year, Massachusetts had authorized a one-year temporary extension of free school meals. Nourish Lab<\/a>, directed by Cohen, surveyed parents about what would occur if the policy ended. In a surprising insight, roughly two-thirds of households near <\/em>eligibility for free or reduced-price meals and one-third of middle-class households said that they may not have enough food in their homes if school meals were not free.<\/p>\n

Cohen said this reflects federal eligibility criteria that does not take into account the \u201cincredibly high cost of living\u201d in many places and the fact that many so-called middle-class families are also struggling.<\/p>\n

The Nourish Lab study also found that 42 percent of families with children eligible for free or reduced-priced meals reported their child would be less likely to eat a school meal next year if it was not free for all<\/em> children.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because if school meals aren\u2019t free for all, kids associate them with subsidized food for low-income families. But when the stigma is removed, kids are no longer embarrassed to eat them, and overall meal participation increases. That dynamic has played out in case studies around the world<\/a> and is now being experienced by American kids in a growing number of states.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is so much movement in this area,\u201d Leung added. \u201cNot only are we providing all children nutrients, but universal free school meals reduce the stigma of who\u2019s accessing school meals. There\u2019s no more lunch shaming with the cheese sandwiches. So, how can we leverage this momentum?\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A version of this article originally appeared in The Deep Dish, our members-only newsletter.\u00a0Become a member today\u00a0and get the next issue directly in your inbox. \u201cThe kids knew what they were taking home to their parents and the reaction they were going to get. They knew,\u201d Santamour said. \u201cI had kids who left them in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1237,"featured_media":53496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[485,4343,3264,3896],"tags":[],"coauthors":[43392],"class_list":["post-53286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-access","category-food-policy","category-nutrition","category-school-food"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWithout Federal School-Meal Support, Lunch Shaming May Be Back on the Menu | School Lunch Shaming Is Back on the Menu<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Before the pandemic, some schools determined to manage school meal debt had resorted to tactics that embarrassed kids. The government provided universal free meals for two years, but the federal waivers expired in July.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Without Federal School-Meal Support, Lunch Shaming May Be Back on the Menu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Before the pandemic, some schools determined to manage school meal debt had resorted to tactics that embarrassed kids. The government provided universal free meals for two years, but the federal waivers expired in July.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Civil Eats\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Civil-Eats\/56766540637\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-09-25T08:00:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-09-29T17:48:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/230926-school-lunch-shaming-free-meals-congress-funding-covid-pandemic-1-top-credit-getty.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lynn Fantom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@lynn_fantom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@CivilEats\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lynn Fantom\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lynn Fantom\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4bdc865a438e9b7fb126fc37f43ab0e7\"},\"headline\":\"Without Federal School-Meal Support, Lunch Shaming May Be Back on the Menu\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-25T08:00:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-09-29T17:48:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/\"},\"wordCount\":2742,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/230926-school-lunch-shaming-free-meals-congress-funding-covid-pandemic-1-top-credit-getty.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Food Access\",\"Food Policy\",\"Nutrition\",\"School Food\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/\",\"name\":\"Without Federal School-Meal Support, Lunch Shaming May Be Back on the Menu | School Lunch Shaming Is Back on the Menu\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/230926-school-lunch-shaming-free-meals-congress-funding-covid-pandemic-1-top-credit-getty.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-25T08:00:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-09-29T17:48:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"Before the pandemic, some schools determined to manage school meal debt had resorted to tactics that embarrassed kids. The government provided universal free meals for two years, but the federal waivers expired in July.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/230926-school-lunch-shaming-free-meals-congress-funding-covid-pandemic-1-top-credit-getty.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/230926-school-lunch-shaming-free-meals-congress-funding-covid-pandemic-1-top-credit-getty.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Without Federal School-Meal Support, Lunch Shaming May Be Back on the Menu\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/\",\"name\":\"Civil Eats\",\"description\":\"Daily News and Commentary About the American Food System\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Civil Eats\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/logo.png\",\"width\":800,\"height\":455,\"caption\":\"Civil Eats\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Civil-Eats\/56766540637\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/CivilEats\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/civileats\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4bdc865a438e9b7fb126fc37f43ab0e7\",\"name\":\"Lynn Fantom\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/1981fd932fc7c4293326e2134bae9858\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/lynn-fantom-headshot-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/lynn-fantom-headshot-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Lynn Fantom\"},\"description\":\"Lynn Fantom is a freelance reporter based in New York City and Downeast Maine. A 2018 graduate of Columbia Journalism School, she previously spent 40 years in business. The company she founded in 2002 was recognized for its diversity and inclusion and won eight \u201cBest Places to Work\u201d awards.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/lynn_fantom\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lfantom\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Without Federal School-Meal Support, Lunch Shaming May Be Back on the Menu | School Lunch Shaming Is Back on the Menu","description":"Before the pandemic, some schools determined to manage school meal debt had resorted to tactics that embarrassed kids. The government provided universal free meals for two years, but the federal waivers expired in July.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Without Federal School-Meal Support, Lunch Shaming May Be Back on the Menu","og_description":"Before the pandemic, some schools determined to manage school meal debt had resorted to tactics that embarrassed kids. The government provided universal free meals for two years, but the federal waivers expired in July.","og_url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/","og_site_name":"Civil Eats","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Civil-Eats\/56766540637","article_published_time":"2023-09-25T08:00:06+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-09-29T17:48:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/230926-school-lunch-shaming-free-meals-congress-funding-covid-pandemic-1-top-credit-getty.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Lynn Fantom","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@lynn_fantom","twitter_site":"@CivilEats","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lynn Fantom","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/"},"author":{"name":"Lynn Fantom","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4bdc865a438e9b7fb126fc37f43ab0e7"},"headline":"Without Federal School-Meal Support, Lunch Shaming May Be Back on the Menu","datePublished":"2023-09-25T08:00:06+00:00","dateModified":"2023-09-29T17:48:13+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/"},"wordCount":2742,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/230926-school-lunch-shaming-free-meals-congress-funding-covid-pandemic-1-top-credit-getty.jpg","articleSection":["Food Access","Food Policy","Nutrition","School Food"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/","name":"Without Federal School-Meal Support, Lunch Shaming May Be Back on the Menu | School Lunch Shaming Is Back on the Menu","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/230926-school-lunch-shaming-free-meals-congress-funding-covid-pandemic-1-top-credit-getty.jpg","datePublished":"2023-09-25T08:00:06+00:00","dateModified":"2023-09-29T17:48:13+00:00","description":"Before the pandemic, some schools determined to manage school meal debt had resorted to tactics that embarrassed kids. The government provided universal free meals for two years, but the federal waivers expired in July.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/230926-school-lunch-shaming-free-meals-congress-funding-covid-pandemic-1-top-credit-getty.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/230926-school-lunch-shaming-free-meals-congress-funding-covid-pandemic-1-top-credit-getty.jpg","width":1200,"height":800},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/25\/without-federal-support-lunch-shaming-may-be-back-on-menu\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Without Federal School-Meal Support, Lunch Shaming May Be Back on the Menu"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/","name":"Civil Eats","description":"Daily News and Commentary About the American Food System","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization","name":"Civil Eats","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/logo.png","width":800,"height":455,"caption":"Civil Eats"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Civil-Eats\/56766540637","https:\/\/x.com\/CivilEats","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/civileats\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4bdc865a438e9b7fb126fc37f43ab0e7","name":"Lynn Fantom","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/1981fd932fc7c4293326e2134bae9858","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/lynn-fantom-headshot-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/lynn-fantom-headshot-150x150.jpg","caption":"Lynn Fantom"},"description":"Lynn Fantom is a freelance reporter based in New York City and Downeast Maine. A 2018 graduate of Columbia Journalism School, she previously spent 40 years in business. The company she founded in 2002 was recognized for its diversity and inclusion and won eight \u201cBest Places to Work\u201d awards.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/lynn_fantom"],"url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lfantom\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1237"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53286"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53672,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53286\/revisions\/53672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53286"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=53286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}