Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Dinner at School

Bill Turque at the Washington Post has a rundown today of the new dinner program in D.C. schools that is serving food to an estimated 10,000 children at a cost of some $5.7 million to alleviate hunger.

New census data show the poverty rate among African American children in the District at 43 percent, up from 31 percent in 2007. Many children are in school from 8 in the morning to 6:30 in the evening and aren't being fed well at home.

Be sure to read the comments, where nearly half the respondents think feeding dinner to poor kids is a bad idea. Where are the parents? they ask. It's a familiar refrain.

2 comments:

  1. I think feeding dinner to poor children AT SCHOOL is likely a bad idea as well. But, it doesn't have to do with their being poor or black. It has everything to do with reading so many studies or reports on how important sitting down as a family to dinner is in maintaining family ties and that it is beneficial to the child. Feeding at school is a controlled way that might ensure you're getting the most bang for your nutritional buck - but it wouldn't be the most nurturing way for the child or family has a whole.

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  2. I agree with you if I thought those kids went home to families who had dinner together. Unforunately, I don't think that bears any resemblance to their reality.

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