Ending Childhood Hunger in America by Investing in Child Nutrition Programs

RESULTS Working to create the political will to end poverty through advocacy Empowering individuals to have breakthroughs in exercising personal and political power 30 domestic chapters, 160 core activists, additional network of Domestic campaigns: creating economic opportunity with low-income tax credits, health care for all. 71 global chapters, about 375 core activists, additional network of Global Campaigns: microfinance, global health, education for all

Why Children Need Nutrition Assistance According to the recently released U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey, the rate of child poverty in the U.S. was 20.7 percent in 2009 up from 16.2 percent in 2000, up almost 1.4 million children in just one year.20.7 percent in 2009 Nearly one in every four children in the U.S. lived in food insecure households in 2008 (22.5 percent of all children), up from 16.9 percent in 2007 (USDA)22.5 percent Moderate under-nutrition can have lasting effects on cognitive development of children

Invest in Child Nutrition Programs to End Childhood Hunger by 2015 Federal nutrition programs help feed children in low- income families Child Nutrition Reauthorization includes: – School Breakfast and Lunch – Special Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) – Summer Food Service Program, – Child and Adult Care Feeding Program (CACFP) President Obama has proposed ending childhood hunger in the U.S. by 2015 and his FY2011 budget called for $10 billion in new funding for CN programs over the next ten years

Child Nutrition Reauthorization Senate bill Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 passed in the Senate by voice vote in August. The bill: – Increases child nutrition funding of $4.5 billion over ten years $3.2 billion to increase reimbursement rates for school meals and $1.2 billion to improve program access and participation – Expands the after school meal program to all 50 states – Supports improvements in direct certification for school meals – Creates new paperless options for universal meals – Enhances the nutritional quality of school and pre-school food In the rush to a quick floor voice vote, the necessary funding offsets/payfors were switched and almost half the bill is now paid for by cuts to SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps).

Child Nutrition Reauthorization House bill  The House Education and Labor Committee passed on a bipartisan basis The Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act of The bill: Increases funding for CN programs by approximately $8 billion over ten years Increases eligibility for school lunches by using Medicaid/CHIP data to directly certify children Provides greater universal meal access in high poverty communities by eliminating paper applications and using census data to determine school-wide eligibility Increases funding for nutrition education in schools Improves the nutritional quality of food The bill was reported out without offsets. The House has been under pressure from the Administration to pass “as is” the Senate bill. But 100 House Members have complained about the SNAP offset and the bill was not brought to the floor before the election recess.

RESULTS Priorities for Child Nutrition Reauthorization RESULTS urges Congress to: Pass a more robust bill that increases children’s access to programs, especially during weekends, summer, and breakfast Pay for the bill without cutting SNAP benefits Set us firmly on the path to meeting the President’s goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015

RESULTS: Child Nutrition Laser Talk Engage: One in four American children are at risk of going to bed hungry tonight. Problem: In 2009, 15.4 million children were living in poverty in the U.S., that’s 1.4 million more than the year before. And Congress is on the brink of passing legislation that could increase hunger.

RESULTS: Child Nutrition Laser Talk Inform: Fortunately, Congress can instead do something about it this year. Child nutrition programs, like the school lunch program and WIC, are up for reauthorization in These programs help provide children around the country access to meals and snacks that are essential to their health and development. An additional $8 billion over the next decade invested in these programs would help us meet the President’s goal of ending child hunger in the United States. Unfortunately, the Senate passed their bill with less than half that amount and cut the SNAP program (food stamps) by over $2 billion to pay for it. We must do better for our kids.Child nutrition programs SNAP program

RESULTS: Child Nutrition Laser Talk Call to Action (House): Will you work with House leadership, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA-7) and Ranking Member John Kline (R-MN-2), as well as House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander Levin (D-MI-12) and Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI-4) to pass a more robust child nutrition bill that invests the resources needed to eliminate child hunger, without cutting SNAP benefits to fund it?House Education and Labor Committee House Ways and Means Committee Thank you for your time.

RESULTS: Child Nutrition Laser Talk Call to Action (Senate): Will you work with Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), as well as Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D- MT) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to not use future SNAP benefits to pay for the child nutrition bill that Congress must pass? Thank you for your time.

RESOURCES RESULTS Health Care for All pages: Child Nutrition Resources Food Research and Action Center: Senate Agriculture Committee: House Education and Labor Committee: