CA Preschoolers Would Get Free Breakfast And Lunch Under New Bill

CALIFORNIA — A bill introduced in the California state legislature last week would make breakfast and lunch free for all public school students by adjusting the state’s meal reimbursement guidelines.

Senate Bill 1481, introduced by state Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), would require the State Department of Social Services to reimburse up to two meals a day per child at preschool and daycare facilities and all meals served in family daycare homes.

Currently, the rules cap reimbursements at 75 percent of meal costs. The leftover balance is more than $34 million annually, according to Becker’s office. SB 1481 would supplement California’s free meals program for K-12 public school students, which is set to begin next school year.

“California’s youngest children cannot be left out of our state’s groundbreaking meals policy to tackle food insecurity among learners,” Becker said. “SB 1481 would ensure that all families can send their kids to child care centers offering free, nutritious meals.”

The bill has 13 co-authors across both the state Assembly and Senate, including one Republican assemblymember: Tom Lackey of Palmdale.

“In a rural community like mine in the High Desert, these programs can be a child’s saving grace,” Lackey said. “All young people should be free from the stress of explaining their circumstance when seeking nourishment. I am happy to join Senator Becker as a partner in prioritizing the basic needs of our children.”

Samantha Marshall, the director of programs and policy for the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program Roundtable, also supported the bill. She called it a “positive and necessary step forward to feeding our youngest learners and addressing the historical wage inequities, rooted in racist policies, of our essential child care workforce.”