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Updated: 2003-01-24 01:00

Free school lunches may face audit (2003/01/24)

谁有资格享受免费午餐? (2003/01/24)

The Bush administration is considering an audit of the national school lunch program to make sure that all theFree school lunches may face auditchildren receiving free and reduced-price lunches come from families that are truly low-income.

The Department of Agriculture says about 28 million children get their lunch each day through the program, which cost .8 billion in 2002. A USDA study last year estimated that one in five children participating might be ineligible because the family's income is too high. USDA estimates that billion of the funding bought lunches for ineligible children.

A family of four with an annual income of up to ,530 qualifies for free meals. Families that make ,485 qualify for reduced-price lunches costing up to 40 cents.

Administration officials and lawmakers say they're trying to keep recipients honest while not scaring away needy families. What happens with the program won't just affect how many children receive free chicken nuggets, chocolate milk and canned fruit salad. States and school districts use the program figures to estimate poverty levels at schools, so the results also could affect the amount of government aid at all levels that makes its way down to struggling schools.

Schools rely on parents to report their income but generally don't require proof. "When you start tightening up the scrutiny on these applications, families become fearful and they don't apply," says Gaye Lynn MacDonald of the school food service association.

(Agencies)

布什政府目前正在考虑审查全国校园午餐工程,核实是否所有享受免费和优惠午餐的孩子都来自名副其实的低收入家庭。

美国农业部统计,2002年共有2800万学生每天吃到午餐工程提供的午餐,为此美国政府一年共支出68亿美金。农业部的一份报告估计,去年有五分之一享受午餐福利的孩子实际上家庭收入过高而不够资格,他们大概吃掉了10亿美金。

如果一个四口之家年收入低于23,530美元,孩子就可以在学校吃到免费的午餐。而家庭年收入低于33,485美元的则可以吃到每份仅售40美分的低价午餐。

政府官员和立法者表示,他们希望所有申请该福利的人们都能诚实,但同时又不会吓退那些真正需要的家庭。午餐工程的意义不仅在于有多少孩子能吃到免费的鸡块、巧克力牛奶和罐装水果沙拉,它还可以反映出在校学生中有多少贫困生。因此午餐工程的统计数据还关系到那些经济拮据的学校每年可以从政府领到多少补助金。

学校要求申请这一福利的家庭如实汇报自己的收入,但一般不要求出示证明。校园饮食服务协会的盖伊·林恩·麦克唐纳说:"当学校开始详细审查申请福利人的资格时,有些家庭就会害怕而不来申请了。"

(中国日报网站译)

 
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