Why you should care about the Child Nutrition Act
The Child Nutrition Act is the legislation that make sure low-income children don’t go hungry. The act funds major programs that focus on childhood nutrition. Here are a few examples of the important programs it funds:
- The School Lunch Program gives kids free or reduced cost lunches in school.
- The Summer Food Program makes sure that kids who rely on the free/reduced school lunches aren’t going hungry during the summer by setting up free lunch sites throughout local communities.
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutritious food, nutrition education, and access to health care for low-income pregnant women, new mothers, and children up to the age of 5.
While the programs are permanently authorized, every 5 years, Congress reviews these programs through a reauthorization process. It so happens that 2010 is the year that the act must go through reauthorization.
So why is the Child Nutrition Act important?
- Because, unfortunately, lots of children are hungry:
- In 2007, 13.3 million children, or 18 percent of all children under age 18, lived in poverty.
- Because hunger affects their learning:
- Research indicates that even mild undernutrition experienced by young children during critical periods of growth impacts the behavior of children, their school performance, and their overall cognitive development
- Because low-income children are more likely to face obesity:
- Whether its because they live in a food dessert or because unhealthy foods are more affordable or for many other reasons, low-income families face higher obesity rates.
What can you do?
Encourage your congresspeople to take positive action on the Child Nutrition Reauthorization! You can find your elected officials here.
By making sure the Child Nutrition Act is funded to the needed amount, we can make sure our children are being fed and are healthy!
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