When school's out for summer, many kids are at risk of going hungry - In Plain Sight
“The time of year in the United States (that) an American child is most likely to go hungry is the summertime, and the principal reason for that is school is out,” said Kevin Concannon, undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services with the USDA.
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That’s true on a national level as well. About 21.4 million children receive free or reduced-price lunches at school on a typical school day, according to the USDA. Some of the nation’s neediest kids also receive breakfast, snacks, dinner and even backpacks of weekend food through school and after-school programs.
But last summer, only about 3 million kids were fed through the federal government’s Summer Food Service Program, which provides meals to kids though school and community organizations, according to the USDA’s Concannon.
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Kids who are hungry may take desperate measures to get through the summer, such as purposely failing classes so they can go to summer school and be assured of a meal, said the San Antonio Food Bank’s Cooper.