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More kids go hungry during the summer Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Brothers Nathan Gunter, 7, and Austin Gunter, 6, combine breakfast and entertainment at Medford�s Washington Elementary School on Wednesday. Federal red tape snarls free-breakfast programs here, elsewhere By Vicki Guarino A new analysis of a federal food aid program for children concludes assistance is woefully underutilized across the nation. In some communities, fewer than one in 10 youngsters who receive meals during the school year gets meal assistance in the summer. But the administrators of summer meals programs locally suggest that federal regulations may be at least partly to blame. The summer programs, like school-year nutrition programs, are run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Free meals Several school cafeterias remain open for business this summer. They are participating in a U.S. Department of Agriculture meals program. Free lunches, and in some cases breakfasts, are available to all youth age 18 and younger, regardless of family income and school enrollment. Schools participating in Medford serve breakfast from 8 to 8:30 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 to 12:30 Monday through Friday (unless noted otherwise). Participating schools are: Jackson Elementary, 630 W. Jackson St., through Aug. 18. Washington Elementary, 610 S. Peach St., through Aug. 18. Oak Grove Elementary, 2838 Jacksonville Hwy., through Aug. 18. Roosevelt Elementary, 112 Lindley St., lunch only, through Aug. 18. Howard Elementary, 286 Mace Road, lunch only, through Aug. 18. Jefferson Elementary, 333 Holmes Ave., lunch only, Monday-Thursday, through Aug. 3. Wilson Elementary, 1400 Johnson St., lunch only, Monday-Thursday, through Aug. 17. Elsewhere in Jackson County: Gold Hill � Patrick Elementary, 1500 Second Ave., breakfast 8-8:45 a.m.; lunch 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m., though Aug. 18. Eagle Point, Little Butte School, 12 N. Shasta Ave., lunch only. Talent, Talent Middle School, 102 Christian Ave., breakfast 8-8:30 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m., through Aug. 18. White City, Mountain View Elementary, 7837 Hale Way, lunch only. "If you didn�t love the kids, and know that it is really a worthwhile program � well, the documentation alone makes it very difficult," said Central Point food services supervisor Cathy Whalen. A national, private advocacy group, the Food Research and Action Center, analyzed data from the USDA to conclude that needy youngsters are going hungry during summer vacation. Some 3.2 million children participated in the federally subsidized summer food program last year, compared to 14.9 million students who received free or reduced-cost lunches at school. "States and communities are falling far short of using available resources fully, and many needy children are missing the meals and vital nutrients they need during the summer just as much as they do the rest of the year," said a spokeswoman for Washington D.C.-based FRAC, Lynn Parker. Oregon ranked below average among the 50 states, with about 13 percent summer participation. During the 1999 school year, 145,361 youngsters received free or reduced-price school meals, but last summer only 19,373 youngsters participated. The District of Columbia had the highest participation rate, according to FRAC, at 67.6 percent, followed by Nevada at 44.1 percent and California at 43.6 percent. Alaska and Wyoming had the lowest rates, at 2.9 and 5.4 percent, respectively. Organizers of local programs say lack of transportation, lack of activities to draw youngsters back to school, and probably a lack of awareness among families also affect participation. A spokeswoman for Sodexho Marriott, which manages food services for Medford and Phoenix-Talent school districts, said participation at Medford summer meals programs fluctuates with the beginning and end of summer school. In Jackson County, a couple of programs started this summer. The Eagle Point School District, in cooperation with food agency ACCESS, added an Eagle Point meal site, and the Central Point School District added a Gold Hill site. But the gains haven�t been easy. Eagle Point administrators rely on the experience of ACCESS staff. Central Point�s Whalen relies on her own experience. During the school year, Whalen supervises all meal programs for more than 4,600 students in eight schools. She oversees breakfasts and lunches, and maintains the rosters of youngsters who qualify for free or reduced lunches based on family income. Several years ago, Whalen added a summer meals program at Jewett Elementary School to her schedule. Last summer, she added Patrick Elementary School in Gold Hill. The USDA�s summer meals program is distinct from the school-year program in several ways. For families, the rules are more generous: Free meals are available to anyone under 18. Parents don�t have to fill out applications or file income reports; they don�t even have to live in the community where their children get their meals. Children don�t have to be students at all. "It�s wonderful," said Whalen. "We get all ages. The 18-year-olds who have been outside playing basketball are helping the little kids who can�t see over the counter." Because there are no income restrictions, schools have been able to link up with community groups � Medford�s Washington Elementary School and private nonprofit Kids Unlimited, for example � to run safe and nutritious summer sessions. At Washington School, all students enrolled in the day-camp-style program get breakfast and lunch through the USDA program, regardless of family income. Additionally, kids who don�t participate in Kids Unlimited, a pay program, are welcome to come just for free meals, said Kids Unlimited director Monte Coley. "We do get a few kids from the neighborhood coming in," Coley said. As easy as the summer program is for families, it poses difficulties for meals providers. "I�d say it is 10 times the paper work of the regular program," Whalen said. It is a reimbursement program, so the meals provider has to pay all costs up front. The federal payments for summer meals are $1.25 for each breakfast served, $2.18 per lunch and 50 cents per snack. Seven states � Oregon isn�t one of them � contribute additional funds. Rules require that all aspects of the program be approved by the USDA in advance. Meal sites must be schools where, during the school year, at least 50 percent of the students enrolled receive meals assistance. Meals planners have to know how many kids to expect, and all invoices have to be on hand. Then, every three years USDA officials run a full audit. Whalen has an audit scheduled Aug. 5. "It requires some very creative budgeting," said Eagle Point School District finance secretary Linda Wallace. "There is a very good chance of running into the red." ACCESS has operated the Eagle Point district�s summer meals program in White City for several years. Knowing the need beyond White City, ACCESS staff agreed to add a program at Little Butte School in Eagle Point this summer. Wallace said the district would like to add a Shady Cove meals program, along with a summer activities program, but planning and the lack of money and transportation are slowing the expansion. School districts alone, especially the smaller districts, can�t undertake such endeavors, Wallace said. "You need a lot of groups, a lot of groups in the community, to support you," she said. 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