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Oklahoma children still aren’t taking advantage of Federal summer-meal program

The number of kids who participate in Oklahoma's Federal summer-meal program declined again last year.

As Oklahoma Watch reports,participation levels in the summer meal program were already very low, even before the drop.

Last year, fewer than five out of every 100 eligible children took advantage of the free or reduced-price lunches. That number constitutes a decrease of a nine percent from the previous year.

In both years, Oklahoma ranked last in the nation in percentage of children participating in the program.

Sites where the meals are available include schools, YMCAs, summer camps and community centers. Any child 18 years old or younger is eligible for a free meal, and no ID is required to receive a meal.

Experts believe a lack of transportation in rural Oklahoma is part of the reason for the low participation rates.

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