Help Proposed for Families Struggling to Afford Enough to Eat
Photo by: FeydHuxtable Creative Commons License
Passage of measures being considered by the legislature would help the one in eight Maryland families that struggle to put food on the table every day. Legislation would increase the cash assistance for food, expand the school free lunch program, and make free school breakfast available to more children. All of these initiatives would invest in brighter futures for families and children who live, learn, and work in the state.
Raising the Minimum Benefit
Although Maryland’s economy has improved since the Great Recession, daily nutritious meals are still out of the reach of many families. Even when they receive assistance, it often falls short of what’s needed. In 2015, approximately 11 percent of Maryland households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) received less than $30 a month and around 7.5 percent received about $16 a month (the current minimum benefit). Rising food costs in Maryland mean that these minimal benefits do very little to help low-income families afford healthy and nutritious meals.
Senate Bill 758 would raise the minimum monthly SNAP benefit to $30, which would help families afford to purchase more of the groceries they need. Investing in nutrition assistance programs is also good for Maryland’s economy. When the state provides new funds for nutrition assistance, the participating grocery stores and farmers’ markets also benefit through a nearly twofold increase in sales. Raising the minimum monthly SNAP benefit to $30 will foster healthier communities and boost the economy.
Children who get nutrition assistance are more likely to graduate from high school and are less likely in adulthood to have stunted growth and heart disease. They also have lower levels of obesity than those who live in families that are struggling to make ends meet but don’t receive SNAP. Low-income Marylanders who receive SNAP are therefore more able to work and therefore better able to support themselves, which also is good for the state’s economy.
Eliminating the Reduced-Price Category for School Meals
For many Maryland children, the free and reduced price meal program at school is the only way they are able to eat breakfast or lunch. Yet the cost for a family with two children who participate in the reduced price meal program is still over $275 a year – more than many low-income families can afford. House Bill 1325 will help children fill their stomachs and alleviate the strain on parents’ pockets by extending the free meal program to more students.
In Vermont, all students who were previously only eligible for the reduced price meals now receive free breakfast and free lunch. Prior to the change, many Vermont students still came to school hungry and empty-handed, according to Hunger Free Vermont. Since the free meal program was expanded to cover the reduced price-meal students as well, breakfast participation has nearly tripled, which means more kids are starting their day with full stomachs and are more ready to focus and learn.
In Maryland, the families of many students that participate in the reduced-price meal program run up cafeteria debts, some of which are never paid. If the free lunch program is expanded, students would receive the nutrition they need and families would no longer be burdened with debt from unpaid meals. By extending the free meal program to more students, Maryland would invest in the health and better quality of life for all children.
Breakfast After the Bell
The free breakfast program allows many students to get a good start to the day. However, because of timing, students who would benefit are not always able to eat breakfast offered at their schools. House Bill 1360 will help schools make sure all students are given an adequate opportunity to eat breakfast.
In the traditional school breakfast program, breakfast is served before the start of the school day. However, largely due to transportation issues such as school bus routes and family schedules, many students do not arrive at school in time to eat breakfast before the first bell. Students also face stigma when trying to participate in free breakfast, which may deter them from getting the food and nutrition they need.
The proposed legislation recognizes that the needs of each school are different and allows each school district or school to find a model that best serves their students. Some models that may work better than the traditional model include: grab-and-go breakfast, breakfast in the classroom, and breakfast after first period. Timing for breakfast would be decided by the school or district but should include opportunities for students to eat after the first bell. This would enable many more students to feel energized and ready to be in class.
Hunger that affects so many Maryland families can be more effectively addressed if the programs already in place better fit families’ needs. The immediate increase in in nutrition assistance and better designed school meal programs would help more adults to be more productive participants in the labor force. In addition, preventing hunger in school children means Maryland is putting their education at the forefront. These changes would provide both short and long-term benefits to Maryland’s economy.
