Miami Herald (7/13, Pugh) reported that "for the 19 million students" nationwide "who get free and reduced-cost government-subsidized meals at school, the summer months can also mean an unhealthy vacation from good nutrition." In 1968, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program "was launched in 1968 to address these problems by providing healthy meals from June to August so students in low-income areas are ready to learn when school begins in the fall." But today, that program "isn't reaching nearly as many youngsters as it could." According to data from the Food Research and Action Center, "only one in six eligible students...participated in a summer meal program in July 2009," about a 21 percent drop from 2001.
No comments:
Post a Comment