Jan 07, 2018
New school initiatives in California and Illinois follow NYC public schools’ lead in offering free feminine hygiene products to students starting in 2018.
Sometimes it’s the smallest of things that counts for the biggest impact in students’ lives.
That’s the hope behind several states’ recent initiatives to offer lower-income public school students access to free feminine hygiene products.
Following NYC’s lead in 2016, California middle and high schools, where 40% of the student population falls below the federal poverty line, must offer free feminine hygiene products to their students, starting this upcoming school year.
The California “free tampon” initiative mirrors Illinois’ move last year to offer free feminine hygiene products to its public schoolers commencing in the 2018 school year.
Free the Tampons, a non-profit advocacy group promoting access to feminine hygiene products, points out that federal OH&S regulations already require public schools to stock toilet paper and hand soap. Adding feminine hygiene products to the list, advocates say, “is a small price to pay to keep girls in the classroom.”
banner image from Wikimedia Commons
Free tampons for girls, an end to ‘meal shaming’ — and more in new state laws affecting schools
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/01/06/free-tampons-for-girls-an-end-to-meal-shaming-and-more-in-new-state-laws-affecting-schools/?utm_term=.1c56fddb4323
