All school kids in the state of Georgia will now receive free breakfast and lunch through June 30, 2021, thanks to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
An announcement by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Wednesday, October 14, extends the free meal program from it's original deadline. Initially the announcement provided free meals through December 2020, but this new extension means that breakfast and lunch will be provided for free for all school children for the entirety of the school year.
In a September press release from the USDA, the program ensures that children have access to nutritious food as families recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. “As our nation reopens and people return to work, it remains critical our children continue to receive safe, healthy, and nutritious food. During the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA has provided an unprecedented amount of flexibilities to help schools feed kids through the school meal programs, and today, we are also extending summer meal program flexibilities for as long as we can, legally and financially,” said Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “We appreciate the incredible efforts by our school foodservice professionals year in and year out, but this year we have an unprecedented situation. This extension of summer program authority will employ summer program sponsors to ensure meals are reaching all children – whether they are learning in the classroom or virtually – so they are fed and ready to learn, even in new and ever-changing learning environments.”
In the press release, the USDA says that they continue to be committed to using the congressionally appropriated funding that has been made available.
The press release outlines the details of the program, saying that it allows meals to be served in all areas and at no cost, allows parents and guardians to pick up meals for their children, and more. The idea is to provide flexible options so children can “access meals under all circumstances.”
For more details, visit usda.gov.
