Why isn’t school lunch free? - Explain It to Me

What this episode covers

The problem of school lunch debt is not a new one. But during the early days of the Covid-19 public health emergency, Congress had a solution: universal free school lunch. Suddenly, federal waivers were available to public schools around the country, and food insecurity in at-risk households dropped by 7 percent. But, like many other Covid-era policies, it lapsed. And while some states moved to make universal free lunch permanent, many didn’t. Vox senior correspondent Anna North (@annanorthtweets) explains. Read More: The return of “lunch debt”: Why schools and families are facing a food crisis - Vox Submit your policy questions! We want to know what you’re curious about. Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Explain It to Me?

This episode is 38 minutes long.

When was this Explain It to Me episode published?

This episode was published on August 30, 2023.

What is this episode about?

The problem of school lunch debt is not a new one. But during the early days of the Covid-19 public health emergency, Congress had a solution: universal free school lunch. Suddenly, federal waivers were available to public schools around the...

Can I download this Explain It to Me episode?

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