(The Hill) — The number of U.S. children who received free summer lunches on an average day in July 2022 dropped considerably compared to the previous year, according to a report released by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC).
On an average day in last July, almost 3 million children received a free lunch through the federal Summer Nutrition Program, which gives free meals to low-income children. That was down 44.5 percent, or 2.4 million children, compared to July 2021.
Summer breakfast saw an even steeper decline: 1.8 million children last year, down 62 percent from July 2021.