Drafter
Clerk 09/27/2022
Title
A MOTION reaffirming the King County council's support of universal free school lunch programs, Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer programs, and other nutrition security programs.
Body
WHEREAS, children and youth benefitting from proper nourishment are better able to learn, participate, and achieve in an academic setting, and
WHEREAS, despite the availability of traditional means-tested school lunch programs, research shows millions of children and youth in the United States were not able to reliably access nutritious food, and
WHEREAS, one in eleven households in the western states of the United States struggled with food insecurity in 2020 according to the United States Department of Agriculture, and
WHEREAS, nearly 10% of households with children in the Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue metropolitan area experienced food insecurity in late July through early August 2022, according to the Public Health - Seattle & King County data dashboard on Food Insecurity, and
WHEREAS, traditional means-tested school lunch programs rely on a burdensome application process, which may result in delays in application processing, and present language barriers to prospective participants, and
WHEREAS, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control, children who participate in school meal programs are more likely to consume more whole grains, milk, fruits, and vegetables during mealtimes and have better overall diets, and
WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control further indicates that students eating breakfast at school is associated with better student attendance rates, fewer missed school days, and better test scores, and
WHEREAS, universal school lunch programs reduce social stigma among students and increase student participation in school services, and
WHEREAS, universal school lunch programs reduce program-related administrative overhead, removing the need for application processing and income verification, management of separate free ...
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