Pandemic child-nutrition waivers are scheduled to end June 30; schools worry that some kids will go hungry

"Child nutrition waivers issued during the pandemic have been a boon for meal programs, allowing them to continue distributing food while also adapting to the spread of Covid-19. The waivers provide more federal funding for each meal distributed, and also provide flexibility from rules meal programs normally operate under. But without congressional action, they’re set to expire June 30," Liam Niemeyer reports for Ohio Valley ReSource.

Some school districts say they're worried low-income kids will go hungry without the waivers. In Mayfield, Ky., a community of 10,000 ravaged by a tornado last December, things are hard enough: "Mayfield Independent School District is already facing challenges in the years ahead. Community leaders are worried about keeping their community together, and schools are worried about losing enrollment and therefore state funding for the district," Niemeyer reports. 

In addition, district nutrition director Leah Feagin "said she’s dealing with inflation and spiking fuel prices, making the food she budgets for even more expensive," Niemeyer reports. Because of the sky-high food, supplies and fuel costs, there's "no way" the district could afford the summer meal program, Feagin said. But cancelling it would likely mean children would go hungry.

"Federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have pointed fingers at each other over why the waivers weren’t extended. Democrats have accused Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell [of Kentucky] of pushing to exclude the waivers to rein in pandemic-era costs. His office denies that and says President Joe Biden didn’t include the waivers in his budget proposal," Niemeyer reports. "Regardless of the blame, child nutrition advocates in the Ohio Valley are facing the consequences of it. And advocates are frustrated that months of lobbying to extend the waivers didn’t pan out."