. While certain groups of the population have been able to regain their footing regarding food security, Black families already started at a disadvantage before the pandemic.
“It’s going to be really difficult,” Gonzales says. “We’re seeing families who are struggling to put food on the table.” We have to recognize that, for every community, we need to make sure that we’re doing and implementing strategies that best meet their needs.There have historically been challenges with national summer meal programs. The requirements in place create barriers — like transportation, restrictive times, weather, and eligibility rules — keeping hungry children from accessing the meals.
Without the waivers, this summer, about 7 million kids could lose access to meals, according to a microreport by No Kid Hungry. In July 2020, the first summer with the waivers, nearly triple the number of summer meals were given out compared to July 2019. And, even after things were reopened in July 2021, the number of free meals still doubled from 2019., the Urban Institute found that roughly 70% of adults support permanent free school meals for all students.
The Household Pulse survey found that white , Asian , and Black children were all relatively similar when it came to picking up meals at a school or other sites, with Hispanic children being the outlier at 13%. However, this number doesn’t tell the whole story on the surface. Barriers — like transportation, schedules, and lack of information — have kept these resources from families who might need them.