Child advocates, parents discuss bill to expand free and reduced meals for Hawaiʻi keiki

A community forum was held Saturday at McKinley High School to discuss a senate bill that would expand access to free and reduced-price meals for public school keiki. The bill would raise the income threshold for families to 300 percent above the federal poverty line--or $110,000 a year for a family of four. Currently, to qualify for the program, the same family must make less than $46,000 annually.

Dozens of teachers, parents, state lawmakers, and child advocates, including US Representative Jill Tokuda, came to support the bill to make sure no child goes hungry.

"There is life when the opu is full. We need to remember that before we can expect our kids to learn, our teachers to teach, and our schools to do everything they need to do to help secure the brightest future they deserve," said Tokuda.

According to the Hawaiʻi Foodbank, nearly one in three families in Hawaiʻi struggle with food insecurity. A 2024 report released by Aloha United Way found that 41 percent of ALICE households have trouble making ends meet, and nearly half have difficulty putting food on the table. ALICE families are employed but make too much to qualify for state or federal benefits and struggle with basic necessities.