Investing in school meal programs not only supports children’s well-being and combats food insecurity for the estimated 3.3 million households in which children face food insecurity nationwide, it also boosts the economy, according to a report released in August by the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee.
Ensuring children have proper nutrition and enough food to eat is critical for supporting growth and development and can also help protect young people from developing or exacerbating health conditions including anemia and asthma, oral health problems and mental health disorders.
According to the committee’s report, a 2016 estimate — the most recent available — found food insecurity resulted in $52.9 billion in health care costs.
Therefore, making sure children have enough nutritious food to eat supports overall academic, health and economic outcomes, they determined.
“Our children can’t succeed if they are worried about where their next meal is coming from,” said committee Chair Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico). “New Mexico set an example by passing universal school meals, and there is new momentum to make that a reality nationwide. When we invest in our kids and their education, we are investing in a better future for everyone.”
California became the first state to provide free school meals to any child regardless of whether they were eligible for the federal free or reduced-price meals program in 2022–23. Since then, a handful of other states have passed similar policies. The California Budget and Policy Center released a fact sheet in March citing several benefits of universal school meals, including support for children’s health and learning and reduced child hunger, administrative workload and stigma around free meals.
Studies have long shown how student participation in school meal programs is associated with higher cognitive function, increased attendance, fewer behavioral issues and higher assessment scores.
The congressional committee report found that by improving children’s health, school meals programs also yield substantial long-term economic benefits. In 2021, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Center for Good Food Purchasing estimated that school meal programs provide $40 billion annually — far surpassing the $18.7 billion cost of running them.
Providing subsidized meals also helps schools cover the cost of providing food for students, which then helps families save money on groceries. The committee cited one study that found subsidized meals helped lower the cost of providing meals among large- and medium-sized schools, while another found school meals helped decrease grocery purchases among families with children.
Federal nutrition programs that help support children can also help stimulate economic activity. For example, for every dollar invested into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), GDP increases by $1.50 in a weaker economy when the program has heightened importance and participation. Long-term benefits of SNAP include the mitigation of impacts related to unemployment and poverty during recessions and increase students’ chances of graduating high school, according to the report.
Similarly, the report showed that for every dollar invested in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), $2.48 is saved in medical, educational and productivity costs.
