Maine
» Maine Nutrition Network

Massachusetts
» Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP)
» Project Bread – The Walk For Hunger

New Hampshire
» Southern New Hampshire Services, Inc.

New York
» Hunger Action Network of NYS
» Nutrition Consortium of New York State

Rhode Island
» RI Food Bank
» URI - Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America

Vermont
» Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger
» Vermont Foodbank

National
» Bread For the World
» Food Research Action Center

NERAHN’s Guiding Principles for
Reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Programs

Five federal nutrition programs help our children run faster, jump higher and learn better: the School Breakfast Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Congressional reauthorization of these programs is scheduled for completion by September 2003. But, although these important programs enhance the growth and development of children, many of those eligible and in need are not using them. In order to reach all eligible children, these programs need to be strengthened and improved as described below.

School Breakfast Program (SBP) / National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

The School Breakfast Program and the School Lunch Program were designed to ensure that all children in America are ready and able to learn. Congress created the NSLP over 50 years ago as a “measure of national security to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation’s children.” In the 2000-2001 school year, 27.4 million children participated in the NSLP, and more than half of these were low-income children who received free or reduced price lunches. Research by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicates that children who participate in the NSLP have superior nutritional intake compared to other children. The School Breakfast Program was originally designed to feed children who arrived at school after long bus rides. It now offers a nutritious morning meal to all children. But during the 2000-2001 school year, only 7.9 million children participated in the SBP. Research shows that low-income children who participate in the program have higher standardized test scores than other low-income children. Recommendation: Provide meals in schools at no charge for all students, in order to boost participation and eliminate stigma, and encourage breakfast programs with meals eaten in the classroom.

Summer Food Service Program

This program serves meals and snacks to low-income children when school is not in session and is usually conjoined with educational, developmental and recreational activities. However, only 13% of low-income children who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals during the school year have access to summer meals, primarily due to a shortage of sites. Recommendation: Simplify the program in order to make nutritious summer meals available at more locations.

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

CACFP funds nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children at licensed childcare centers and family day care programs for preschool children, as well as at after-school programs. Recommendation: Expand the program for teenagers who live in homeless or domestic violence shelters, and to those who live in low-income areas. Establish a nationwide supper program for children who are nutritionally “at-risk” and children in family day care programs.

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

WIC successfully provides targeted nutritious foods, nutrition education, and access to health care to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children at nutritional risk. Every dollar spent on WIC results in a savings of $1.77 to $3.13 in Medicaid costs for newborns and their mothers through the reduction of low-birth weight births and infant mortality, reduced anemia, and the enhanced nutritional quality of the participants’ diets. Recommendation: Improve the structure so that all eligible women, infants and children who wish to participate may do so.

Recommendations for All Programs:

• Streamline paperwork requirements and increase efficiency;
• Re-emphasize nutrition education, high quality food and healthy eating habits; and
• Provide adequate funding for meals, outreach and equipment.