Policy

More than a dozen states skip federal food aid program for kids

Logistical concerns and unfamiliarity likely contributed to states opting out.
This Jan.17, 2012 photo shows Roosevelt High School junior students, from left, Allison Ruiz, Miriam Ramon, Maria Valenzuela eat lunch at their school cafeteria in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Only 30 states have said they will participate in the first year of a federal program that helps fund summer meals for low-income children, according to the latest count by the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.

The announcement, released Tuesday, added three new states to a count that has been updated weekly — Hawaii, New Hampshire and Tennessee. That was one day after the deadline for states, territories and tribal nations to declare their intent.

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