Child nutrition and anti-hunger advocates have reason to be excited this spring, and it’s not just because of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative, ABC’s new show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, and all of the other great press the issue has been getting recently. Recently, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) introduced her version of the Child Nutrition Re-authorization Act, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which would provide $4.5 billion in new funding over 10 years for Child Nutrition Programs, expand the Afterschool Meal Program nationwide, and take steps to improve the nutritional quality of all food sold on school campuses.
Though the bill falls short of President Obama’s budget request of $1 billion in new funding per year for child nutrition programs, the bill goes a long way to fighting childhood obesity – the New York Times calls the issue “yet another side of the health care issue because better childhood nutrition is preventive medicine at its best” – and increasing the reach of these programs to all children in need. It is crucial, however, that more money is found for these programs before the bill is voted on. Social safety net programs that provide food are being utilized by more and more people: in January, 39.4 million people relied on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The time is now to assure that no children – especially those in food insecure households – have to make it through the school day without nutritious food.
Chairman Lincoln’s bill already has bi-partisan support and passed unanimously out of committee in late March. The House of Representatives is yet to act, but the pressure is already on. Jilly Stephens, Executive Director of City Harvest, a New York-based anti-hunger group, has challenged the House to “at least meet the President’s request for an increase of $1 billion per year.” As she writes, “It’s time to find the money to make sure federal child nutrition programs can fulfill their promise to American kids.” This year’s reauthorization of child nutrition programs is Congress most opportune moment to make a difference in securing the long-term health of low-income children – they must give these programs everything they can to succeed. Write your Members of Congress to increase funding for Child Nutrition Programs at the RAC’s Legislative Action Center.