JEFFERSON CITY — A spokeswoman for Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday defended his administration’s decision not to permit participants in a summer meals program for children to take their food to go.
Out of the 50 states, Missouri stood alone in its decision not to seek a waiver from the federal government so that low-income families could take advantage of grab-and-go meal options available through the Summer Food Service Program, .
Multiple meal providers told NBC News that meals distributed this year had plummeted by more than 90% compared with last year, when the grab-and-go option was available. is open to children living in low-income areas of the state.
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The NBC News report prompted criticism from Democrats, including Trudy Busch Valentine, the party’s nominee for Missouri’s open U.S. Senate seat this year.
“I don’t know about you, but I am tired of headlines about Missouri failing its children,†she said Tuesday on Twitter.
Kelli Jones, spokeswoman for Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, declined to comment for the NBC News article.
But in a statement Wednesday to the Post-Dispatch, she rejected criticism of the administration.
“The narrative that we aren’t feeding kids who need help is just plain false,†Jones said in a statement. “The same amount of meals are still accessible and available to kids in need as before.â€
Jones didn’t say to what extent, if any, the governor was involved in the decision not to seek a waiver for the grab-and-go option, which dates to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Missouri decided not to opt in to the grab-and-go program because our state was returning to normal operations,†Jones said. “The program continues to work as it was designed — for children to eat meals on site … these normal operations ensure accountability and integrity of the program.â€
NBC reported that while the state didn’t seek a waiver for the Summer Food Service Program, which the Department of Health and Senior Services oversees, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education sought permission for grab-and-go food for a separate federal meals program called the .
“By requiring kids to eat meals on-site, we can be confident that the kids who need the meals are getting the meals,†Jones said.
But Misti Hollenbeck-Harris, director of membership, wellness and fitness at the Adair County Family YMCA, cast doubt on the idea that others were digging into the food.
“Most of the time the children were with the parents, and oftentimes the kids would be getting into the food before they even drove away,†she told NBC.