California will begin permanently offering free meals to all public school students this fall

California will permanently begin providing free school meals for students this fall in a move that many advocates are praising as a big step toward ending food insecurity.

Kent Nishimura for LA Times

The state says it will be the first in the nation to make free meals permanent for all public school students, regardless of their family's income.

By Stella Chan and Theresa Waldrop, LA Times| 7/2021

"I have seen how stigma can keep students from eating school meals, even when the alternative is going hungry," Huey said in a statement in the news release. "School Meals for All will not only eliminate school meal debt, it will provide much-needed relief to struggling families experiencing daily stress and stigma around feeding their kids." Universal free lunch programs ensure no one falls through the cracks and eliminate the stigma associated with qualifying for free or reduced-price meals because of family income Read More