A Pennsylvania school district has warned that children could end up being put into foster care if their parents do not pay overdue school lunch bills.

Letters sent to about 1,000 parents in Wyoming Valley West School District
over unpaid lunch bills, warned that failure to pay for their children’s food could lead to dependency hearings and the removal of their children from their home.

The move has led to furious complaints from parents and a stern rebuke from Luzerne County child welfare authorities.

RT reports: Unsurprisingly, the correspondence sparked a barrage of complaints from parents. Luzerne County child welfare authorities said the alarming claim was false and harmed those most vulnerable. 

Responding to the outcry, the school district said the stern letter was simply a desperate attempt at collecting fees they are owed. Wyoming Valley West’s lawyer, Charles Coslett, said he did not consider the letters threatening and told WYOU-TV that it’s “shameful” some parents don’t want to contribute towards feeding their own kids.

School officials later said that they will send out a less severe follow-up letter to parents next week.