Reading the comment
carefully, you understand that the father (and child) feel less shame about taking advantage of school meals
at breakfast, where the service is universal (available to all regardless of economic need) versus
at lunch, where there is often a more visible distinction between paying and nonpaying students, or between students on the federally reimbursable lunch line versus those who can purchase for - cash (and often more desirable) «a la carte» food, or (in the case of high schoolers) between students who can go off campus to buy lunch
at convenience stores and restaurants versus those with no money in their pockets.