MD pilots innovative anti-child hunger program

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Last month Maryland was selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pilot the Community Eligibility Option (CEO) in the 2013-2014 school year. CEO provides free meals to all students in schools with high percentages of low-income students. The Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute was one of several organizations involved in advocacy efforts to bring this new tool to Maryland, and we are please that Maryland's application was approved.

Three education agencies will take part in the pilot: Baltimore City Public Schools, select schools in Washington County, and the SEED School of Maryland. CEO means that every student in these schools will be provided with free school breakfast and school lunch. By providing for all students, CEO eliminates the negative stigma often associated with eating school meals. Additionally, CEO reduces paperwork for families who no longer have to qualify individually, and administrative costs for the school system related to processing individual applications. CEO is already operating in over 400 local education agencies in 7 states and the District of Columbia with great success.

Implementing CEO in Maryland places us on the leading edge of improving access to – and the quality of – school meals for children. This is an important step forward as the Free State works to achieve the Governor’s goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015.