This week, the National Governors Association’s annual winter meeting wrapped in Washington, D.C., with ending childhood hunger and ensuring the well-being of children as central topics on the group’s agenda.
Across the country, governors are building momentum for school breakfast through funding opportunities in partnership with their state agencies, private partners and No Kid Hungry.
Here’s a roundup of how governors and first spouses across the country are tackling childhood hunger in their states.
- Breakfast of champions [Hawaii]: Hawaii’s First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige is leading a statewide initiative, Jump Start Breakfast, which aims to get more kids excited about their morning meals. The Jump Start Breakfast enterprise has breathed new life into the state’s breakfast program, having launched in 10 schools for 2019.
"At the end of the day, if students start off the day with a healthy breakfast, they can think better, they feel better, behavior is better, and they’ll want to become more successful students in the classroom." – First Lady Amano-Ige
- Sisolak takes Nevada’s helm as first Democratic governor in two decades, promises to follow in Sandoval’s footsteps [Nevada]: During his inaugural address in January, Nevada governor Steve Sisolak hinted at two of the major policy areas he will tackle in office: health care and education. His speech was heavy with admiration for Nevada, its citizens and the issues they face.
"There’s the woman I met at Costco, who was hauling around a shopping cart full of breakfast bars. She told me they were for her students. In case any of them came to school hungry, she’d have something for them at the start of the day. That’s what Nevadans do. We show up for one another. We pitch in wherever — and whenever—we’re needed. But no teacher should have to spend their salary like that, and no kid should have to sit in class hungry.” – Gov. Sisolak
- Governor Raimondo announces her ‘No Student Hungry’ initiative [Rhode Island]: Governor Gina Raimondo’s new anti-hunger initiative would require public schools in low-income areas to serve breakfast after the school day starts so more students have a chance to eat. She also wants to make it easier for low-income college students to qualify for SNAP.
"Right now only about half of our kids in Rhode Island eligible for free or reduced breakfast actually get and eat that breakfast at school, and as many as half of all college students say they go to bed hunger." – Gov. Raimondo
- Western Governors deliver 2019 State of the State addresses [Montana]: During his final State of the State address, Governor Steve Bullock, chair of the National Governor’s Association, touted Montana’s efforts to reduce child hunger.
"In 2013, Breakfast After the Bell was almost unheard of, and over 20% of kids across Montana were considered to be food insecure. Since then, over one-third more income eligible students are getting school breakfast. And we joined with private sector partners in expanding Breakfast After the Bell to well over 100 new schools." – Gov. Bullock
Lawmakers across the country – from members of Congress to governors to state and local legislators – are critical to making sure child nutrition programs like SNAP and school meals work to reach the kids who need them.
