Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010: A “Win” for Low-income Children
In the midst of political divisions, we can rejoice in some good news. On Dec. 13, President Obama signed into law the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 – also known as the Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill.
This new law will make enormous strides in the nutrition standards and availability of the foods served in our
schools.
This bill guarantees that more children will have access to the healthy, nutritious foods they need to thrive – both during the school year and during the summer.
This is great news because with our economy still in recovery mode, this bill ensures that children from struggling families will receive a reduced cost or free school lunch. It also helps ensure that those foods are healthier and sets important standards for foods not already in the school lunch program.
Child hunger is a real problem in this country. Currently, the poverty rate for children is 20.7 percent – up from 15.6 percent in 2000. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 directs resources to a variety of programs that fight hunger and malnutrition in our communities. These programs include the Summer Food Service Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the National School Lunch Program.
The new law also works to stem the dramatic rise in childhood obesity in the United States by removing sugary drinks and candy in our schools’ cafeterias and increasing funding for fruits and vegetables. This is especially crucial as one in three children are currently either overweight or obese – up dramatically over the last 20 years.
Click here to see a video of President Obama signing the bill into law.
This new law will make enormous strides in the nutrition standards and availability of the foods served in our
schools.This bill guarantees that more children will have access to the healthy, nutritious foods they need to thrive – both during the school year and during the summer.
This is great news because with our economy still in recovery mode, this bill ensures that children from struggling families will receive a reduced cost or free school lunch. It also helps ensure that those foods are healthier and sets important standards for foods not already in the school lunch program.
Child hunger is a real problem in this country. Currently, the poverty rate for children is 20.7 percent – up from 15.6 percent in 2000. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 directs resources to a variety of programs that fight hunger and malnutrition in our communities. These programs include the Summer Food Service Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the National School Lunch Program.
The new law also works to stem the dramatic rise in childhood obesity in the United States by removing sugary drinks and candy in our schools’ cafeterias and increasing funding for fruits and vegetables. This is especially crucial as one in three children are currently either overweight or obese – up dramatically over the last 20 years.
Click here to see a video of President Obama signing the bill into law.
