I'm really torn here. I grew up as one of those kids who rarely had lunch money, had awful clothes (to this day, I will NOT wear polyester anything) and no teachers bought me anything. If they had, it might have just given my parents more reasons to be irresponsible, ie. if the teachers will clothe and feed her, we can spend more on gambling. I started working at 13 (before some of the silly child labor laws got set in stone)and have been responsible for myself since. I am the only one of my family that turned out conservative Republican, so maybe the experiences don't prove anything....
Please accept my apology. My reading of your initial reply led me to believe that you are unsympathetic to the problems facing workers today. What you subsequently wrote about your feelings and experience have shown me that I was mistaken.
You may find this interesting:
http://www.kingdomlife.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=32
Lest any here think that I'm just another liberal, be assured that I'm not. I'm a business owner and hands-on worker myself, and my ability to employ my fellow citizens at anything resembling a living wage has been crushed by illegal immigration and just plain greed. And yet...though I refuse to employ them...I have to admire the work ethic of those little guys from south o' the border. They need a break too. I voted for Bush because I trust him, not because I approve of all his policies. I pray that he has a better view of all the problems we face than I do, and will come up with the best solutions.
It's possible, but I think you give parents too much credit for rationality. The kind who send their kids off to school without lunch/lunch money are so utterly self-absorbed that I don't think it makes a whit of difference if a perceptive teacher helps the kid. They'll not notice anyway. Gambling/alcohol/crack/whatever else the parents do will take their undivided attention.