Aug 31, 2022

Recommendations for Strengthening Child Nutrition Programs in Indian Country

Senior Child Nutrition Policy Analyst

This July, the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) and the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) released Child Nutrition Reauthorization: Strengthening Programs in Tribal Communities, a policy brief that outlines recommendations aimed at improving the impact of the federal Child Nutrition Programs in Indian Country through the Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) process.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act authorizes the federal child nutrition programs, which reach millions of children each day and support educational achievement, economic security, nutrition, and health. Although most of the programs are permanently authorized, about every five years, Congress reviews the laws governing these programs through the reauthorization process.
CNR presents a unique opportunity to improve federal policies that have exacerbated food insecurity in Indian Country. This can be done by focusing on supporting access to the Child Nutrition Programs for Native youth and incorporating Tribal sovereignty into efforts to improve program operations.

Aug 29, 2022

True Cost of Food Report from The Rockefeller Foundation Reinforces Benefits of Healthy School Meals for All

Millions of children eat school breakfast and lunch daily at schools across the nation. To better understand the far-reaching benefits of the School Nutrition Programs, The Rockefeller Foundation and The Center for Good Food Purchasing published True Cost of Food: School Meals Case Study in November 2021. The report used a True Cost Accounting methodology, which considers the multiple dimensions of a food product, program, or system, to examine the School Nutrition Programs.

Aug 23, 2022

Help Make Healthy School Meals for All the New ‘Normal’ in Maryland

MDHS Senior Anti-Hunger Program Associate

For many students in Maryland, the back-to-school season is an exciting time of reconnecting with old friends, meeting new teachers, and shopping for school supplies. But for families struggling with food insecurity, the start of school may also bring an added sense of relief in knowing that their children will have access to a critical resource typically not available over the summer — healthy free school meals.

Aug 22, 2022

Healthy School Meals for All Advances Racial Equity

There is considerable evidence of the effective role that school meals play in alleviating poverty and food insecurity, supporting good nutrition, boosting learning, and improving health outcomes. However, nearly 60 percent of children just above the cutoff for free school meals are children of color. Healthy School Meals for All can serve as a critical tool in the fight to achieve racial equity, improving educational and health outcomes for students, particularly Black and Latinx students, by allowing schools to offer breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost.