"California is asking the Trump administration for permission to use federal funding to provide meals to students outside of school hours, as families continue to reel amid the federal government's cuts to food stamps. On Monday, the California Department of Education urged the Trump administration to allow flexibility to the school meal program and issue federal waivers that would enable school districts to provide to-go meals to students over weekends and holidays similar to what the federal government did during the coronavirus pandemic."
"The plea comes as the Trump administration has continued to push back against fully funding SNAP during the government shutdown. Despite a ruling by a federal judge last week ordering the Trump administration to fully fund SNAP, the administration has demanded that states undo full SNAP benefit payments for the month of November or face financial penalties. It also asked the Supreme Court rule to keep payments frozen."
California requests federal waivers to allow school districts to use existing school meal program funding to provide to-go meals over weekends, holidays and outside normal school hours. The state seeks authorization to feed students and children too young to attend school as food stamp cuts increase family hardship. Over one quarter of California households with children face food insecurity. The federal government has resisted fully funding SNAP during a shutdown, demanded reversal of full November SNAP payments or imposed penalties, and sought to keep payments frozen despite a federal judge's ruling. California provided hundreds of millions of meals during the pandemic.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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