The Pandemic Tears a Hole in a Vital Child Nutrition Safety Net

Luz Desiderio has long counted on free school breakfasts and lunches to help feed her four children. Today the cafeteria line is only a memory, like handshakes and movie theaters. In the pandemic, her kids are studying online at home, and she’s running out of cereal, eggs, and fruit. “I’m apologizing to my kids a lot, saying, ‘We don’t have that anymore,’ and they’ll have to wait until next week,” she says.

Covid-19 has taken a well-documented toll on the education of America’s children. But it also poses a less appreciated threat to their nutrition. The federal government spends $19 billion a year subsidizing school meals. The National School Lunch Program represents an essential strand in the safety net: It’s the second-biggest anti-hunger program after food stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.