FREE Healthy School Meals through Community Eligibility

This blog post is cross-posted from our partner, NEA Health Information Network.

Today is the deadline for states to publish which schools are eligible to participate in Community Eligibility for free school meals. 

What is Community Eligibility you ask? Community Eligibility is the newest opportunity for schools with high percentages of low-income children to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students. 

And what’s especially great about this news is that school districts with eligible schools will have the option to expand free school meals to all schools within the area.

Helping to Tackle Childhood Hunger

Community Eligibility is part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, created as a common-sense strategy to tackle a widespread problem impacting millions of children in the U.S.: hunger and lack of access to healthy foods. Nearly 16 million children and teens lived in food insecure households in 2012.

Community Eligibility was developed out of the recognition that the factors that hinder access to nutritious food — such as poverty and food deserts — impact communities broadly. Students in densely low-income areas may still be impacted by these factors, even if on paper they might not otherwise qualify for free school meals.

Currently, there is sometimes social stigma that can be associated with free school meals, preventing those who need these healthy meals from accessing them. Fortunately, there is a way to break down this social stigma that can be associated with free school meals — by making free meals available to ALL students, and using creative strategies like “grab and go” cafe carts or programs like NEA HIN’s Breakfast in the Classroom.

School Meals Can Make a Difference in a Child’s Life

Through our Breakfast in the Classroom program, NEA HIN and educators see the positive impact school meals can have on children’s well-being and academic performance. Educators have seen student’s test score performance increase, tardiness decrease, and infrequent trips to the nurse’s office. Nutritious school meals — however they’re served — can truly make a difference in the life of a child or teen.

Community Eligibility can increase participation in the school meal programs, reduce labor costs for schools, and play a critical role in fighting childhood hunger. It’s clear that schools and students benefit from Community Eligibility, and school districts should make this program available wherever possible.

Is your local school eligible for Community Eligibility? See the list of eligible schools in your state.