Thanks to many efforts, the House of Representatives on Thursday joined the Senate by passing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act ending months of deadlock and significantly improving opportunities for low-income students to get healthy, more affordable school meals.
If President Obama signs the bill into law, as expected, there will be $4.5 billion in new child nutrition funding over 10 years and schools will:
* Serve more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.
* Get help meeting new standards for healthier school meals.
* Have to follow national nutrition standards for all food sold on school grounds.
* Strengthen their wellness policies.
* Get funding for farm-to-school programs.
* And expand the Afterschool Meal Program to all 50 states.
While valid concerns remain about nutrition and hunger programs for low-income families and crucial work must be done to ensure that Congress and the President restore funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), passage of this bill is a huge victory in the battle to end the epidemic of undernourished and obese children.
So, thanks to all members and our partner organizations who worked so hard to get to this point. Many of you publicly supported the bill, wrote and called members of Congress, and passed the word about this important legislation. Your voices counted and you proved our children count!
Thank you!
Judith C. Young, PhD
VP for Programs
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance
1900 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191
(O) 703 476 3412
(F) 703 476 9527
www.aahperd.org
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