School meals, KIDS COUNT data, and other MassBudget updates

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. MassBudget Updates Over the last few weeks, MassBudget has completed a number of different projects... Are free and reduced-price school meals getting to all the kids who need them? That's the question that motivated Breakfast and Lunch Participation in Massachusetts Schools--part of a joint project involving MassBudget, the Center for Social Policy at UMass Boston, and the Mass Law Reform Institute, supported by the EOS foundation. Our online chartpack summarizes the major findings. A complete diagram of the food assistance programs in Massachusetts shows: who is eligible for them, who runs them, where they get their funding, and how people can gain access. The KIDS COUNT data center has been updated to include a breakdown of low income students by city and town based on eligibility for free and reduced-price lunch. In a brief analysis of funding for children through the Department of Children and Families, we found a significant cut over the last four years--amounting to roughly $130 million. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108