Summer is over and as the new school year begins, California is implementing new laws  that bring us closer towards making school meals an educational resource available to all students. This year, as children return to school, more than 340,000 students will take their seats in charter schools where they should finally have guaranteed access to at least one free or low-cost meal each day. In addition, more than 1.8 million children will return to traditional public schools where all students can eat for free.

As California takes these two important steps forward, the Trump Administration is trying to take two very large steps back. Last month, the administration finalized its 

public charge rule--making the use of SNAP/CalFresh, and certain health and housing benefits, grounds for a green card denial. Although school meals and WIC are not included in the rule, its finalization-along with the overall rise of anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies-have created a  climate of fear for immigrant communities. CFPA stands in solidarity with advocates  across the state, dedicated to mitigating the harmful effects of this rule. We hope litigation will stop the changes from taking effect on October 15th, but will continue advocating policies that help immigrant Californians access the food they need to thrive.

"All students deserve equitable access to education and food," says George Manalo-LeClair, Executive Director of the CFPA. "And despite fear, confusion, and other actions, school meals continue to be available to low-income students regardless of immigration status. This recent expansion of hunger-free schools and improved paperless enrollment can certainly help eligible, fearful students from missing out on the meals that help them succeed in school."

The Trump Administration also proposed a new,  misguided rule for SNAP/CalFresh that would sever the seamless connection to free school meals for tens of thousands of California students and cut off many families from critical nutrition support. If enacted, USDA estimates that over 500,000 young students would be cut off from the free school meals that help them stay prepared and focused at school to achieve their academic goals. The cuts would also mean thousands of schools that serve, or are planning to serve, universally-free meals under the  Community Eligibility Provision could lose eligibility for the program or make it financially unsustainable to continue to operate the program. CFPA is committed to dismantling these and other challenges that keep Californians from accessing the resources they need to live healthy, happy, productive lives. We know we can't do it alone.