By Nadia Ramlagan
Public Intelligence Service
The number of Kentucky children receiving free breakfast and lunch through summer nutrition programs increased 65% between the summers of 2022 and 2023, bucking a nationwide downward trend, according to a new report from the Food Research and Action Center.
The results underscore the Commonwealth’s commitment to providing universal school meals through high participation by all districts in the Community Eligibility Provision program, which eliminates the cost of school meals for students.
John Cain, program director of Kentucky Kids Eat at Feeding Kentucky, noted that participation was high.
“In fact, more than 90% of schools in Kentucky have implemented CEP, eliminating these costs for children and their families,” Cain explained.
According to a recent survey by No Kid Hungry, more than half of rural families don’t have enough money for food during the summer. More than 80 percent of parents said they spend more on food when their children are out of school – an average of $168 more per month.
Cain stressed that the benefits are cumulative for children who regularly eat breakfast at school, noting that they are likely to score better on standardized tests and have fewer behavioral problems in the classroom.
“We need to remove the barriers that might prevent them from doing so,” Cain urged. “Because we know that it not only improves health and academic performance, but it is a real solution for food-insecure children in Kentucky.”
Experts say this summer presents important opportunities to increase access to summer food by supporting and expanding summer programs, providing non-congregate meals in underserved rural areas, and implementing the permanent Summer EBT program.
