THE MERCURY NEWS: OPED: California leading the nation with universal school meals program

Providing students with free school meals ensures that every child is ready to take advantage of their educational opportunities

Childhood hunger is a major issue in this country — one with wide-ranging consequences in learning, behavior and health. Santa Clara County has emerged as a leader in advocating for a strong, common-sense solution to ensure that every child in our county is ready to learn and thrive: universal school meals. As a country, we have promised every child a free education. Providing students with free school meals ensures that every child is ready to take advantage of that education. Free school meals also help create community — no longer do children need to be divided into “free, reduced, and paid” — they are just our children.