All public school students in California will have access to free breakfast and lunch at school this year under a new state program.
The Universal Meals Program makes California the first state to launch a statewide meal program. The state has about 6 million public school students.
The new program dovetails with the federal National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, according to the state Department of Education.
Food insecurity—the lack of consistent access to food—among low-income families has risen in recent years because of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising inflation.
Hunger relief organization Feeding America estimated that last year about 42 million people—including 13 million children—may have experienced food insecurity….