SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — More families could get help feeding their children when school is out this summer.
A bill is making its way through Congress that would give states more options to feed kids from low-income families.
“I know she would love that,” said Betty Lesure, whose granddaughter is a single mother with six children. “With six children and no husband, that’s a real big struggle.”
A struggle because her children and millions of others get free or reduced meals at school, and during the summer, too many of those children go hungry.
The National Summer Meals Program was created 40 years ago to help children from low-income families get food, but critics said it’s a one-size-fits-all mentality, and it doesn’t reach enough kids.
“The flexibility [states][ need to choose what makes the most sense in their communities, so children in rural and hard to reach communities can get the nutrition they need in the summer,” said U.S. Republican Senator John Boozman.
Boozman is leading efforts to update the program to give states more options like giving them the opportunity to provide summer meals without a centralized feeding site and giving eligible families up to $30 a child per month on their EBT card.
The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee approved it. Now, it will make its way through the Senate.
Parents told WREG many times they have to choose between groceries, medical care, and utilities during the summer.
They hope this could be the help they need.
“Especially when you have six children and no husband,” said Lesure.
