"These bills are an important step in making long overdue updates to the summer meals programs" says Davis.
Contact: Meredith Jorss, mjorss@strength.org
Washington, DC - Today, lawmakers on Capitol Hill introduced a new marker bill on Child Nutrition Reauthorization, the process that makes updates and improvements to our nation’s federal nutrition programs. The Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act of 2021, introduced by Sens. John Boozman (R-AR) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), joins two other marker bills designed to address the summer hunger crisis: the Stop Child Hunger Act of 2021, introduced by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Reps. Mike Levin (D-CA) and Jahanna Hayes (D-CT), and the Summer Meals Act of 2021, introduced by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Reps. Don Young (R-AK) and Rick Larsen (D-WA). The following is a statement from Share Our Strength Senior Vice President Lisa Davis:
“These bills are an important step in making long overdue updates to the summer meals programs and Share Our Strength is pleased to see continued bipartisan commitment to kids across the country.
“For many children, summer is the hungriest time of year. Prior to the pandemic, only 14 percent of those who received free meals during the school year were able to access summer meals. Providing families with direct resources to purchase more of the groceries they need and allowing more flexibility in the summer meals programs just makes sense. Throughout the COVID crisis, these policies have been a practical, effective way to reach more kids with the food they need when they’re not in school. Legislation like the Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act would help keep this momentum going.
“This is critical. Making sure kids are well-nourished during the summer months has a strong return on investment. Summer hunger is linked to learning loss as well as a higher likelihood of illness and emotional stress. When kids get the food they need, it helps them stay active and healthy during the summer and return to school in the fall ready to learn. This year especially, making sure kids are fed is essential in helping to rebuild a generation impacted by the pandemic.
“Share Our Strength stands committed to working with Congress and the Administration to make these effective policies a permanent reality whether it’s through the Child Nutrition Reauthorization process, the American Families plan or other vehicles for change.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 6 kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.