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Many countries offer free or reduced-price lunches in schools, with some countries like Finland, Sweden, and India offering free lunch without qualification. In the US, eligibility is based on income, with controversy surrounding whether income levels are high enough, especially in expensive areas. Non-federally funded programs provide lunch and breakfast to children who need it during the summer months.
Free lunches and reduced-price lunches are available in many schools and in many countries. Some countries offer free lunch without qualification. These include countries like Finland, Sweden and India. India has one of the oldest free lunch schemes and dates back to the 1920s by offering free lunches to students.
In other countries, the free lunch is determined by income, which is where the question of whether a child is entitled to free or reduced-price lunches comes into play. In the United States, for example, eligibility is based on nationally determined income, and all public schools must offer free or reduced-price lunches to eligible children. Keep in mind that rates adjust each year, so if your child isn’t eligible for one year and your income doesn’t change, they may be eligible the next year, or if you have another child, your eligibility may change. There is some controversy as to whether income levels are rated high enough, especially in areas where the cost of living is very high.
For the 2008-2009 school year, the National Free Lunch Program determined that a family of four (two adults and two children) could make an annual income of no more than $27,560 US Dollars (USD), to qualify for free lunch. Reduced-price lunch, usually less than a half dollar a day, was available that school year to families earning no more than $39,220 USD. These are respectively 130% and 185% of poverty levels. Both Alaska and Hawaii have higher limits. These numbers will fluctuate on a yearly basis, so it’s important to check the guidelines for your state each year.
Some types of income don’t count. If you receive food stamps or are in the WIC program, this does not count as income when determining your free lunch status. Mostly, schools will ask to see proof of current income in the form of pay stubs. As mentioned, some feel that these income levels are too low.
A child living in a large city in New York or California may have parents who pay rents that are exceptionally high relative to their income. While the allowable amounts may be considered fair in other, less expensive areas, income limitations in expensive areas tend to raise the question of whether lunch determination should be based on a city-by-city or state-by-state basis. It is certainly true that a family of four living in San Francisco might find even $50,000 USD a year grossly inadequate to meet their spending needs, yet their children would not qualify for free or reduced-price lunch along the lines national program guide.
There are some non-federally funded programs that aim to provide lunch and sometimes even breakfast to all children who need it during the summer months. There may not be any qualification requirements for these children other than to take them to the place where food is served. Many public schools have also started serving breakfast to children, since some children may not be able to count on breakfast at home. Qualifications in the United States for breakfast programs usually match those for lunch programs.
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