Embarrassment or fear of being teased is keeping children from taking free school meals, according to research published by the Department of Education and Employment, commissioned by the Child Poverty Action Group. Of the 1.8 million children who are eligible for free school meals, about one child in five fails to claim them. Practical advice for school meal providers includes explaining to parents how to claim free meals, ensuring the value of meal tickets keeps pace with the cost of healthy meals and introducing cashless systems such as swipe cards to help reduce the stigma.
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