Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Full Report | Page 125
CHAPTER 3
How can we eliminate red tape in the child nutrition programs? Can we reduce the
number of child nutrition programs to one or two (in-school and out-of-school) operated
by a single agency in each state? How do we ensure that children only have to qualify once
and sponsors only have one set of administrative, meal, and reporting requirements?
Should the requirement for children to
eat meals together on site (the congregate feeding requirement) be waived?
The ideal location to serve summer meals
to low-income children may be in a safe,
supervised enrichment program, but the
current infrastructure and barriers limit our
ability to reach kids this way. States should
have the option to implement alternative
program models such as the summer EBT
demonstration, home-delivered meals, and
backpack programs. A USDA pilot testing
meal delivery showed that adding noncongregate options in rural areas added
to the number of children receiving meals
without reducing participation at nearby
congregate programs.
How do we build on state efforts to
expand school breakfast? States including Maryland, New Mexico, and Colorado have
enacted policies to institutionalize innovative breakfast models. These policies require
schools with a large percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals
to serve breakfast “after the bell.” National policy could build on these efforts by requiring
breakfast after the bell in low-income or possibly all schools and/or by providing financial
incentives for universal feeding.
Each child deserves the opportunity to live in dignity and thrive. Let’s work together to
make sensible policy changes that invest in our children and our nation’s future. We can
make No Kid Hungry a reality in America. To learn more, visit NoKidHungry.org.
School lunch staff and
students enjoy the new
school lunch menu
created to meet the
new standards at the
Yorkshire Elementary
School in Manassas, VA.
Duke Storen is the senior director for partner impact & advocacy with Share Our Strength,
whose No Kid Hungry campaign is working with churches, private citizens, public officials,
nonprofits, business leaders and others to end childhood hunger by connecting kids to the national
nutrition programs.
www.bread.org/institute?
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