Foster care for meal debt? District scares Pa. parents

A school district in Pennsylvania faced criticism after sending letters this month to more than three dozen parents warning that if their debt for school meals was not paid, their child could be placed in foster care.

“Your child has been sent to school every day without money and without a breakfast and/or lunch,” read the letter signed by Joseph Muth, director of federal programs for the Wyoming Valley West School District. “This is a failure to provide your child with proper nutrition and you can be sent to Dependency Court for neglecting your child’s right to food. If you are taken to Dependency court, the result may be your child being removed from your home and placed in foster care.”

David Usavage, vice president of the school board, said Saturday that when he first read the letter, he thought it was a “joke.”

“It was not approved by anyone,” Usavage said. “We have a policy that says everything should go through the superintendent.”

He said the letter was written by Muth and the district’s lawyer, Charles Coslett. Usavage said Muth has apologized. Attempts to reach Muth and Coslett on Saturday were unsuccessful.

Usavage said the district is owed over $22,000 in breakfast and lunch debt. He said 960 students owe between 5 cents and $9.99. The parents of the 40 students who owe $10 or more received the letter.

The district serves about 5,000 children, Usavage said. “We have never denied anyone because they don’t have money,” he said. “We would never, ever allow a child to go hungry.”

Usavage said all children in the district will receive free breakfast and lunch, regardless of need, in the next school year.