I don't even know what to say.

[ameraumi]

You also have to remember that if they were being monitored they could lose funding for that meal because a child was served outside of the allotted time. It sucks to see a hungry child, but they have to follow rules too.

It is the same in my daycare, if a child comes past breakfast time I do not serve them. I remind the parents they *have* to be here by a certain time.

 

[pixie dust 112]

I agree I would have never sent my kid to school hungry but there are actually families out there that really have no choice.

Have you seen the lines at food pantries? They are getting longer all the time.
The admin should have given the child something - dry cereal even.

There but for the grace of God go I.

I agree with you MickeySP. Sadly there are most definitely families that do not have food in the house not because they don't want to feed their children, but because they simply can't. Perhaps the services and food they eceive from government agencies come at the beginning of the month and by the last week of the month there just isn't anything left to feed the family! Very sad.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

You also have to remember that if they were being monitored they could lose funding for that meal because a child was served outside of the allotted time. It sucks to see a hungry child, but they have to follow rules too.

It is the same in my daycare, if a child comes past breakfast time I do not serve them. I remind the parents they *have* to be here by a certain time.

why is the world SO FOCUSED ON RULES??? if there is a hungry child FEED THEM! I don't care what your "RULES" say.



Sorry, had to get that out.

 

[Tinkin]

Lunchroom manager here....Even though the parent should have fed the child, a teacher or someone in charge should have taken the child to the manager and sked for a bowl of cereal and a carton of milk. I would NEVER turn a child away for breakfast if they were hungry. YEs it might "mess up" the paperwork but at least the child won't be hungry.

There have been several times where a teacher will email me or send a note with a child asking if they can get some cereal because they are so hungry they are crying.

OMG, your post broke my heart.

 

[camreesmom]

That is soooo sad. I can't even imagine sending my kiddos to school hungry. DD12 won't eat in the mornings, even on the weekend. She has to be up for a while before she's ready to eat. DD9 and DD5 are a different story. Last year, I got a note from the cafeteria that DD9 owed money and when I asked for what, they said she'd been eating breakfast. SHE WAS EATING BREAKFAST AT HOME, TOO!!! So I can just imagine how she'd be if she didn't get anything to eat until lunch time. DD5 will wake up and all she wants is a glass of chocolate milk. But as soon as she's outside waiting for the bus, she's starving. We usually send her with a pop tart or baggie of dry cereal and a banana.

Let me tell you what, I would have had to give the poor child something out of my bag, too......even if it was a package of peanut butter crackers.

 

[bumbershoot]

why is the world SO FOCUSED ON RULES??? if there is a hungry child FEED THEM! I don't care what your "RULES" say.


Sorry, had to get that out.

If they get funding from somewhere, they have to follow those rules. If the rules are broken and they are found out, they can lose ALL funding, and NO kids can get fed.



My elementary school didn't serve breakfast, but we qualified for free lunch. My mom never sent us to school hungry, BUT having been as poor as we were when I was small, when I read the post I figured the family just didn't have any money for food for breakfast. Sad, but it definitely happens. My mom had to work ridiculously hard, since my dad didn't pay child support and there was absolutely no money to take him to court about it, but she worked and always fed us well (no spam!).

But not everyone can work that hard, and not every situation lends itself to being able to work that hard (my mom could always find jobs that worked with our school schedules, and always found incredible bosses who let her be as flexible as possible).

 

[tiff211]

That's heartbreaking. I always keep something DDs can snack on now in my car. They like to eat school breakfast and one morning we just missed it. I told them to go to class and I would pick something up. I ran to Mcdonald's and grabbed something for them. From that point on, I keep pop tarts of granola bars in the car. There is no way, I would have let my kids go to class without feeding them. If I didn't have the money, I would have asked to speak the someone in the lunchroom. wow, just wow

 

[mum4jenn]

In my opinion having a hungry child eat after the "alloted" time is not BREAKING the rules. It is being a caring human being.

Even though WE can't go back and enter that child's account number as having eaten breakfast after the alloted time, we CAN call our food service office and they can go in and change what they need to and at the end of the day our records will reflect that change.

I don't know of ANY professional that would turn away a hungry child because of rules.

Even if I had to go to the store to buy the child something I would.

 

[LovinPooh]

I dont mean to go off topic.. it kinda is but isnt. I was just on a field trip with DDs class. They are in 4th grade. When it came time for lunch, one little girl started to cry that she didnt have a lunch. This was the second time this has happened. Her parents never made her a lunch or filled out a note for the cafeteria. A bunch of us parents gave her some of our lunch so she could eat. Now that broke my heart. I just dont know how anyone could send their child to school and not know if they are going to eat.

My son on the other hand... he used to have breakfast at home, and then go to school and get breakfast there... didnt realize it til I got the bill

 

[Cindy B]

I see it all the time. All day-everyday. My school is at 100% yes 100% free breakfast and free lunch for EVERYONE.

There is free breakfast served everyday to everyone. Does everyone take part in it? No. They choose to be late because of other obligations. Maybe they want to sleep late, or play some extra minutes on the 360 game or they are busy watching TV.

Some have to take a transit bus to school (public bus) and they are at the mercy of the bus schedule.

It is priorities, pure plain and simple.

And a little off topic, why is there a sticker on the backpack for eveyrone to see-- I guess the OP's environment is NOT 100% poverty free lunch. I think broadcasting to world that you get free lunch via a sticker is not the most discreet approach.

 

[Kathi OD]

Just based on OP's post, how can everyone assume that the mom just didn't care whether the child ate breakfast? Maybe the reason the child was late was because she refused to eat at home. I know that could have happened any number of times in my house when my kids were pre-K age (they didn't go to pre-K). I think the sticker on the bookbag makes it quite clear the mom did care, but also knew that she might not get her little one to school in time.

 

[LuvOrlando]

-

 

[daisax]

You also have to remember that if they were being monitored they could lose funding for that meal because a child was served outside of the allotted time. It sucks to see a hungry child, but they have to follow rules too.

Then you go to your own bagged lunch and hand the kid your tuna fish sandwich.

My sister's a cafeteria manager and yes, she has federal rules to follow, but she also gets more government food than they CAN use, and could have whipped something up without blinking.

 

[tonilea]

There have been several times where a teacher will email me or send a note with a child asking if they can get some cereal because they are so hungry they are crying.

That made me cry.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I dont mean to go off topic.. it kinda is but isnt. I was just on a field trip with DDs class. They are in 4th grade. When it came time for lunch, one little girl started to cry that she didnt have a lunch. This was the second time this has happened. Her parents never made her a lunch or filled out a note for the cafeteria. A bunch of us parents gave her some of our lunch so she could eat. Now that broke my heart. I just dont know how anyone could send their child to school and not know if they are going to eat.

My son on the other hand... he used to have breakfast at home, and then go to school and get breakfast there... didnt realize it til I got the bill

That is sad. My cousin's school ALWAYS takes a few extra lunches on a field trip, just in case a child forgot theirs or wasn't given one at all.

I can't imagine a child being turned away, that is terrible. When I got older and still now, I don't like to eat much in the morning, but when I was young, my grandmother always made sure I had meal before going to school, even some days it might just be a pop tart, but I had food.

Suzanne

 

[rentayenta]

There is no reason that child should have been turned away for food. If I was that secretary I would have gone into my own lunch or the vending machine or something. Teachers' break rooms are filled with stuff to eat. I just can't stand it.

 

[Cindy B]

I guess I am getting cynical working in the city. I see kids upset about not eating ALL the time (it's a daily occurrence) and I don't cry.

The kids that are wanting food don't come early enough for the free breakfast. Why don't they come? They just don't.

It isn't important enough to get the kids on time. Some of these middle schoolers take care of little siblings or have kids themselves.

 

[loco4dis]

Gosh, I think the little girl will survive until lunch. She's hardly "going hungry" if a meal is to be served in, what, 2 or 3 hours? I really don't mean to be insensitive, but good grief, a 5-year-old missed breakfast. Big deal. She'll survive, and maybe even learn to move a little quicker in the morning so it doesn't happen again. She's not going to collapse from starvation. Buck up!

 

[Becky2005]

Just based on OP's post, how can everyone assume that the mom just didn't care whether the child ate breakfast? Maybe the reason the child was late was because she refused to eat at home.

That's what I'm wondering -- I could *easily* see that scenerio over even putting on shoes/jacket, whatever. I know it was pre-K but child is REFUSING to get ready, put on shoes, whatever...mom frazzled telling child "if we don't get going, you are going to miss your breakfast" -- finally mom just shoves shoes on child, heads out the door after telling child being hungry & not getting the breakfast at school is the result of said child's stubborness. Maybe next time, they will put their shoes on when they are supposed to and not be late.

I hear all the time that skipping dinner won't kill a child if they get sent to bed without supper once or twice -- yet I think that would be a LONGER time to go without food than when the next time a pre-K child would eat.

Do they get a morning snack in class? Is it a full-day thing? Too many unanswered questions before I would go blasting the mom. Did the mom maybe giver the child a glass of milk at least to drink before coming in to tide her over until snack?

 

[quasar4legs]

When I was teaching special ed I used to keep food in my classroom for the children that came to school hungry. We had a fruit bowl, cereal etc and sandwhich maker all of which I paid for out of my own pocket.

I don't know how any teacher can ignore the fact that a child hasn't had something to eat. Truth be told the evening meal may not have been that great so breakfast really was the most important meal of the day.

Very sad, poor little thing
Trish