Tell Congress: Protect School Meals and Keep Mississippi’s Kids Fed!
Right now, recent legislative changes and a federal funding freeze are disrupting critical resources across Mississippi and the country. Shifts in policy—including the removal of DEI initiatives, changes in immigration policies, and funding cuts to essential programs—have created widespread confusion and instability. The lack of clarity and transparency surrounding these changes has led to devastating consequences for communities, jeopardizing the essential services that families rely on every day.
Child nutrition programs, which ensure students have reliable access to meals necessary for learning and growth, are under serious threat due to the federal funding freeze. Without immediate intervention, these programs will face devastating setbacks, directly impacting the well-being and future of thousands of children across our state. We must take action at the local level to support our communities and protect essential resources to prevent further harm.
The Threat to Child Nutrition Programs
The House Ways and Means Committee has proposed changes that would cut $12 billion in funding for school meals and threaten access to federal child nutrition programs. These cuts directly threaten the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a proven program that has been in place since 2010 that focuses on feeding kids free meals without burdensome paperwork and red tape.
This will eliminate free school meals in Mississippi for 119 schools and 55,276 children. For many of these students, school meals are their only reliable source of daily nutrition. Cutting these resources will leave thousands of children hungry, affecting their ability to concentrate, learn, and thrive in the classroom.
Child nutrition programs are vital to many Mississippi communities, providing essential support for students' academic performance, health, and economic stability. Hungry children struggle to focus, retain information, and succeed in school, but consistent access to meals keeps them engaged and ready to learn. School meals also ensure students receive balanced nutrition, building the foundation for healthy habits and reducing rates of childhood obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related illnesses. For many low-income families, these meals alleviate financial pressure, ensuring children don’t go hungry when household budgets are tight. Additionally, programs like CEP reduce the administrative burden on schools, allowing staff to focus on education rather than paperwork and meal-tracking.
What You Can Do
We cannot let these funding cuts happen—every child deserves access to the nutrition they need to succeed. Now is the time to act! Contact your legislators today and demand they oppose cuts to school meal programs, advocating for stronger policies that protect child nutrition. It is time to take action now. Educators and administrators, your voices are crucial—share your stories about how these programs support your students and communities. Your firsthand experience can make a powerful difference in convincing lawmakers to protect the meals that help children stay focused, healthy, and ready to learn. Together, we can ensure that no child in Mississippi goes hungry.
