The story about the school district in Pennsylvania sending letters to parents threatening to send children to foster care over unpaid lunches is all over the news. In the past we’ve heard similar stories of students with debt being served cold lunches, stamped with the words “I need lunch money”, etc. We’ve even seen cafeteria workers fired for giving out free lunches.
Of course there’s another discussion that needs to be had on what needs to be done to target this growing issue of lunch debt across the country, but an issue just as big that not too many people seem to be concerned with is how innocent children are being handled in this situation and what long-term affect lunch shaming will have on them.
These children are being subjected to punishment for something they have absolutely no control over. We know how important food is for students to be able to think properly and have a productive day. In other words lack of food can affect their grades and overall performance in school.
But lunch shaming also has an affect on a child’s mental health as well. It’s embarrassing for children to be singled out in front of their classmates. This can ultimately lead to teasing, anxiety, depression, etc. All of these have the potential to become long-term issues.
The bottom line is that lunch shaming can have a lasting affect on the mental, physical and emotional health of children. Many people believe that lunch shaming is something that is unfortunate, but necessary due to the shrinking budgets of school districts, but we cannot be willing to let innocent children become casualties to choices that they did not make.
What do you think is the best way to tackle the issue of lunch debt and lunch shaming?
A Work of Faith Ministries, Inc. 