Free meals for all Detroit schoolchildren in fall

[Magnatomicflux]

English, that subtle "apres moi, le deluge" comment [[for those less informed... it was made by French King Louis XV, who knew that trouble was coming after his demise) went right over the head of all the "Marie Antoinette let them eat cake crowd"....

They act as though the parent of every poorly nurished child goes to the nail salon and gets their hair done instead of feeding their children.... really? Got any statistics to back that up?? .... or is it more "stereotyping"??

Arguing over whether schoolchildren should be fed or not... how pathetic is that??

No wait... let me guess... feeding all schoolkids is a sign of the encroachment of socialism.... got it...

I would just like to note, that what I said was only something I hope isn't happening. But it has been pointed out by people far more in the know than any of us, that some parents can, and just don't support their children. Why? Material things or addictions I suppose. I grew up poor too, hand-me-down clothing from my brother and cousins, and parents friends kids. Both my parents worked, but it just wasn't enough to cut the mustard.
My Mom always made sure we had SOMETHING to bring to school in a brown paper bag, even if it was just a sandwich and nothing else but a juice. When food was scarce.......a couple bucks to get a sandwich from the deli on my way to school. There was nothing wrong with them, they just had shit jobs and did the best they could with what they had.

I wish we had a program like this when I was a kid. I'm sure it would have helped my parents out and maybe made them a little less dependent on my Grandpa.

[DetroitTeacher]

Some kids who COULD have money for lunch [[who don't qualify for free lunch) don't. It's that simple. I don't know why, nor do I care to know why. When you look at a kid who hasn't eaten anything since the day before, who is sitting in your class and you can actually HEAR their stomach rumbling...well, I say feed the kid [[and I usually do...I share what I have, go to the lunchroom and purchase a lunch and bring it back to class, whatever I have to do to get that kid fed). I'm not the only teacher who does this. Sometimes I am buying more than a few lunches and claim that the kids are "working on a project in my room during lunch". That allows me to save the kids some face and get their stomachs to stop rumbling. Nothing worse than hearing a kid's stomach rumble and know that they haven't had anything to eat for a day or two. Maybe their food stamps ran out [[and their parents wouldn't send in the free lunch form at the beginning of the year), maybe mom is sick and didn't get paid this week [[she doesn't have paid sick days), maybe mom is an addict and sold the bridge card, maybe they just got evicted and are living with someone else who doesn't provide a place to cook, maybe they have no electricity and can't keep food cold or heat it up, maybe all mom bought was a bag of chips and some crap juice for dinner last night. I really don't care about the WHY, I care about the kid and getting some food in their belly. This program will allow kids who COULD have lunch money but don't the opportunity to get something to eat. I can't believe some people are that cold and heartless that they would deny this to the kids. We can't punish the kids for what their parents are either doing or not doing.

[Zacha341]

^^^^ I hear you DT, thanks for all that you do - indeed there are many factors to why kids come to school hungry I understand. Check your DYes box I PM'd you... Thanks.

[English]

Arguing over whether schoolchildren should be fed or not... how pathetic is that??

No wait... let me guess... feeding all schoolkids is a sign of the encroachment of socialism.... got it...

Indeed. Thames & Goose's responses to your comment were so very textbook. If we're angry at the parents for being bad parents, let's make their kids suffer. So oooh! That'll show them!

After all, goes the reasoning, if they were as worthy as my kids, they would have had better sense than to be born to such lackluster mothers and fathers.

There are some people in our society who'd rather feed stray animals than a stray poor child. They are taxpayers, not citizens, and certainly not members of a community consisting of those who aren't exactly like them.

[Det_ard]

I would hope that if a teacher notices a child being abused they would report it to the proper authorities. Failing to feed your child is child abuse. So if the child has to be fed by the schools due to the parent's neglect, do we simply feed the child then turn a blind eye to the neglect? Would you bandage up a physically abused child and send them back to their abuser, then do it again the next day, and the next day, and be so happy for the taxpayer-funded free school bandage program?

No easy solutions here, but we have some pretty low standards in the ghetto.

[Goose]

Why is this only a "test" program. Why is one school more worthy than another. According to some peoples reasoning here, it appears every public school should provide free food.

What would everyones reaction be if this test program was done in the Grosse Pointe school district? Im sure the vitriol would be harsh. There are poor kids in the Grosse Pointe school district that recieve food assistance. Don't you think the stigma in the Grosse Pointe school district would even be worse, having to get your government lunch in front of Biffy with his sushi and evian lunch out of a Louie Vuitton lunch box.

[rjk]

Some kids who COULD have money for lunch [[who don't qualify for free lunch) don't. It's that simple. I don't know why, nor do I care to know why. When you look at a kid who hasn't eaten anything since the day before, who is sitting in your class and you can actually HEAR their stomach rumbling...well, I say feed the kid [[and I usually do...I share what I have, go to the lunchroom and purchase a lunch and bring it back to class, whatever I have to do to get that kid fed). I'm not the only teacher who does this. Sometimes I am buying more than a few lunches and claim that the kids are "working on a project in my room during lunch". That allows me to save the kids some face and get their stomachs to stop rumbling. Nothing worse than hearing a kid's stomach rumble and know that they haven't had anything to eat for a day or two. Maybe their food stamps ran out [[and their parents wouldn't send in the free lunch form at the beginning of the year), maybe mom is sick and didn't get paid this week [[she doesn't have paid sick days), maybe mom is an addict and sold the bridge card, maybe they just got evicted and are living with someone else who doesn't provide a place to cook, maybe they have no electricity and can't keep food cold or heat it up, maybe all mom bought was a bag of chips and some crap juice for dinner last night. I really don't care about the WHY, I care about the kid and getting some food in their belly. This program will allow kids who COULD have lunch money but don't the opportunity to get something to eat. I can't believe some people are that cold and heartless that they would deny this to the kids. We can't punish the kids for what their parents are either doing or not doing.

So have you ever contacted social sevices when you come upon a situation like the ones above? The kid that might have a drug addicted mom who sold the bridge card doesn't need a free lunch. He needs to get the hell out of that situation.

[DetroitTeacher]

I am not supposed to call social services direct. There is a chain of command in situations like this. Yes, I followed that chain when I knew exactly why the kid was hungry and if it warranted my mandatory reporting. More times than not the kids don't tell exactly WHY they don't have lunch money/free lunch forms. I don't demand to know...I just feed them. If the kid is comfortable telling me, then I can do what I need to do to get that kid help. Many times the kid doesn't know why their parents aren't providing what they need. Kids rarely talk about a horrible home situation. I can sometimes coax it out of them but more times than not, they don't tell. I can't force someone to tell me why they don't have what they need. If I don't have facts and proof, there is little someone can do for them other than give them a lunch and make sure they have a full belly before they leave the school.

Believe it or not, kids are reluctant to tell something that may get them taken from their parents or would get their parents in trouble. I had a young lady who was beaten so bad with an extension chord [[while tied to a pole in her basement) that she was wearing a sweatshirt in 90 degree weather to hide the marks [[she was bleeding and had open wounds, not just marks). I had a feeling but she wouldn't say a word. I did everything I could to get her to tell me something. I finally gave up and let the building police handle it...the social worker wasn't in. She still wouldn't say a word to the police about what was happening. She kept claiming she was anemic and cold. we can't force a kid to strip down. The police called CPS, just to be on the safe side and THEY made her go to the ER to be examined. Turns out this was happening on a regular basis but this kid wasn't about to tell anyone and she refused to say that her mother had done this to her. It wasn't until grandma got involved [[that is who the police called, claiming to not be able to get ahold of mom) and forced the truth out of the kid. Kids will go to any length to protect their parents! In case you're wondering, grandma took custody of the kids and mom's parental rights were terminated. Imagine how hard it is to get a kid to say their parent is an ass and won't feed them.

So have you ever contacted social sevices when you come upon a situation like the ones above? The kid that might have a drug addicted mom who sold the bridge card doesn't need a free lunch. He needs to get the hell out of that situation.

[Zacha341]

ROTFL! Hah!

...having to get your government lunch in front of Biffy with his sushi and evian lunch out of a Louie Vuitton lunch box.