Aren't the lunches paid for, in a cafeteria? I don't think it's a case of "these people are too poor so they shouldn't have kids", Jack. Here in Australia there's been quite a heavy emphasis on replacing things like chips (crisps) and sweets in the school canteen with healthier alternatives, though we don't have a cafeteria system, we have lunch orders that are delivered to the classrooms for primary school kids or collected at the canteen in high school. I give my kids a lunch order once every couple of weeks as a treat and the unhealthiest thing on the menu is probably a hot dog. Of course, that's what my son wants 
. My daughter usually asks for the sushi. For morning tea, there's plenty of fruit, yoghurt and other tasty things that don't cause instant diabetes. A typical lunch order will cost me about $15 total for both kids, morning tea and lunch, which is way more expensive than the packed lunches I send them with every other day. Parents who send their kids with no lunch are first asked to pay for something from the canteen, then asked if they have genuine financial hardship (also asked to prove it, with bank statements) and if there's no actual reason other than laziness, they're reported to child services.
Incidentally, teachers in primary school are quite vigilant and will also send a note home if a child is constantly provided with unhealthy or insufficient packed lunch.
Oh, and Jack: if everyone waited until they could "afford" to have kids, we'd have a whole generation of over-indulged, perfecty turned out little automatons with yuppie parents who are retired before the kids leave high school. Unless you're suggesting means testing before people are allowed to fall pregnant -- which smacks of Brave New World just a little bit to me. The gentrification of the womb, how lovely! Nobody is ever prepared for kids, you just "make do".
. My daughter usually asks for the sushi. For morning tea, there's plenty of fruit, yoghurt and other tasty things that don't cause instant diabetes. A typical lunch order will cost me about $15 total for both kids, morning tea and lunch, which is way more expensive than the packed lunches I send them with every other day. Parents who send their kids with no lunch are first asked to pay for something from the canteen, then asked if they have genuine financial hardship (also asked to prove it, with bank statements) and if there's no actual reason other than laziness, they're reported to child services.Incidentally, teachers in primary school are quite vigilant and will also send a note home if a child is constantly provided with unhealthy or insufficient packed lunch.
Oh, and Jack: if everyone waited until they could "afford" to have kids, we'd have a whole generation of over-indulged, perfecty turned out little automatons with yuppie parents who are retired before the kids leave high school. Unless you're suggesting means testing before people are allowed to fall pregnant -- which smacks of Brave New World just a little bit to me. The gentrification of the womb, how lovely! Nobody is ever prepared for kids, you just "make do".
It could be worse