Forget the fancy backpack and new pencils; for many Latino families, free and reduced-price school meals are the most important school supplies. School meal programs fuel more than bodies. They enhance focus, improve mental health, attendance, and create a sense of belonging in and out of the classroom.  

However, with living expenses on the rise, Latino families are feeling the pressure of providing healthy meals while keeping a roof over their heads.

No Kid Hungry is working to protect and strengthen these nutrition programs that set kids up for success in their futures, strengthen families, and build stronger communities. 

A lifeline for families

For these families, school meals aren’t just a little help; they’re a lifeline. They help kids focus, feel better, and have the energy to learn and make friends. As the saying goes, “barriga llena, mente atenta” (full bellies mean focused minds).

Without these meals, parents are forced to make impossible choices, like paying a bill or buying groceries. 

The 2025 No Kid Hungry Back to School Report reveals just how much Latino families are feeling the economic pressure: 

  • 53% of Latino parents reported difficulty purchasing their usual groceries 
  • 66% of Latino parents say inflation impacts their financial situation and makes it harder to put food on the table 
  • 34% of Latino parents reported losing their jobs in the last year 
  • 1 in 4 parents expressed concern that their kids wouldn’t be able to eat or receive food at school at the start of the 2025 school year. Latino parents showed even greater concern than the national average about eligibility 

A Georgia father knows what it’s like to feel like they can’t get ahead. 

“It feels like no matter how much you earn, nothing kind of remains,” he says. “It’s living paycheck by paycheck. When you are on a tight budget, a meal from a school helps you pass through that difficult phase.” 

Another mother of five from Colorado reported that even between two working adults in her household, it’s a stretch every month to meet everyone’s needs and get by. School meals provide more than that relief for families. 

“There’s not as much stress on the finances,” she says. “We’re better able to live our lives because we’re in these programs.” 

Beyond the cafeteria

This isn’t just about food, it’s about every aspect of a kid’s life. When kids are hungry, it becomes harder for them to perform at their best, which affects both their mental and physical health. 

A mother from North Carolina said it best, “When they’re hungry, they’re not very focused. They’re irritated, there’s more arguing—it becomes a very tense environment. ‘I just want to know what I’m eating next,’ and that’s all they can think about. Once they’ve had a nice lunch, they’re coming to ask questions; their minds are more open to things. They’re not blurred from hunger.” 

School lunch is also a chance for kids to make amiguitos and develop social skills. The Georgia father loves what the lunch program has done for his daughter. 

“The other best thing about the lunch program at school—what I have seen in my daughter—is that it gives her the time to interact with kids in her class better. When they sit down for lunch together, everyone is having the same lunch, which gives them a place to interact in a better way.” 

Relief for the whole family

Knowing that lunch is covered at school makes a huge difference for parents. As summer ends, many Latino parents find relief knowing their children can count on these meals again. It means less stress and more breathing room in the budget. 

Still, with rising costs and threats to programs like school lunch, SNAP, and WIC, that safety net is at risk. 

No Kid Hungry is fighting to protect and expand the programs that ensure kids have the most essential school supply: food, because every child deserves to walk into the classroom ready to learn, not hungry.  

Check out the full Back to School Report (English & Spanish) to see what’s at stake and how you can help. 

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