The city should boost its free supper program for students, says Manhattan Councilman Ben Kallos.
The push would build off of existing programs providing free breakfast and lunch at city schools.
Kallos, a Democrat, says if the city expands after-school programs, it will be able to tap federal funds for late-day meals.
“We’re leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table,” Kallos told the Daily News. “We could guarantee every child three square meals a day and end youth hunger as we know it.
“We should have community schools where the schools are there from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. while parents are at work,” he added.
The Education Department already offers supper at after-school programs, but at a far lower rate than free breakfast and lunch. In fiscal year 2019, the latest year for which the department had data, an average of 58,128 suppers were given out per day. That compared with 218,153 free breakfasts before the bell per day and 603,244 daily free lunches.
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