Continuing his efforts to improve the health and nutrition of our nation’s children, Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) today introduced H.R. 5480 – The Ending Childhood Hunger Challenge Act that would challenge states to end childhood hunger by 2015 and give them necessary tools and resources to do so. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) successfully added a similar provision to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in the Senate Agriculture Committee.
“While hunger affects people of all ages, it is particularly devastating for children,” said Polis. “Even short-term episodes of hunger can cause lasting damage to a child’s physical and educational development. This bill will help end childhood hunger by helping states to implement innovative strategies to improve program access and break down the barriers that prevent programs from reaching all eligible children.”
While nearly one in four American children (16.7 million) is at-risk of hunger, millions of children are eligible but not enrolled in federal nutrition programs. Of the 19.5 million low-income kids receiving free or reduced price lunch in school each day, less than half (46%) receive breakfast and only 11% participate in the Summer Food Service Program.
President Obama has set an ambitious goal of ending child hunger by 2015. In addition to the federal policy changes and investments that Congress must undertake in the upcoming reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, meeting this goal will require states to partner with the federal government and the private sector in fighting child hunger by strengthening collaboration and improving coordination.
“President Obama’s ambitious goal is achievable, but only if we give states the tools and support they need to reach as many at-risk students as possible,” said Polis. “I am happy to build upon the work of Share Our Strength, the Alliance to End Hunger, and the Obama Administration to challenge states to work together and reduce the threat of childhood hunger, so our kids have a strong and healthy start to life.”
To help states meet that goal and fight childhood poverty, Polis’ legislation:
- Encourages states to make progress against child hunger by implementing innovative strategies to improve program access and breaking down barriers that prevent programs from reaching all eligible children.
- Creates a new competitive grant program to provide states with the tools and resources they need to carry out comprehensive and innovative plans to end childhood hunger by 2015.
- Supports demonstration projects to enhance benefits or provide innovative program delivery models in federal nutrition programs; increases access and participation in federal nutrition programs; and improves the coordination of federal, state, and community efforts to combat hunger.
- Promotes projects that employ a comprehensive and innovative strategy to reduce child hunger; includes a public-private partnership among public and private stakeholders that requires a collaborative planning process that results in a detailed project plan; specific performance goals and annual assessments to measure progress; and an independent evaluation of the impact of project activities on child food insecurity to hold states accountable for results.
A Fact Sheet on H.R.5480 – The Ending Childhood Hunger Challenge Act is available at /UploadedFiles/
“In Colorado, we have led the way in this type of innovative strategy, so we know it works. By developing a public-private partnership with Share Our Strength, Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. and Hunger Free Colorado, we have made significant progress towards ending childhood hunger and improving the nutrition of children in our state. We commend Rep. Polis for championing efforts to ensure that Colorado’s communities have the resources they need to participate in this critical nutrition programs” said Ruth Stemler, Colorado State Director for Share Our Strength.
“Colorado has struggled in the bottom ten nationally for most child nutrition programs for many years, at the same time our rate of child poverty is one of the fastest growing in the nation,” said Kathy Underhill, Executive Director of Hunger Free Colorado. “Children can’t wait to be fed until the economy improves. We are heartened by this timely legislation whose impact will be positively written on the brains and bodies of our next generation.”
Earlier this year Congressman Polis introduced H.R. 4870 – The Healthy School Meals Act – which would make plant-based foods more affordable and available for schools to purchase and provide incentives for schools to provide them to students through their federally-funded breakfast and lunch programs. He has also introduced H.R. 5090 – the Nutrition Education and Wellness in Schools Act (NEW Schools Act) – that would strengthen school districts’ wellness policies and improve nutrition education and promotion in classrooms across the nation. More information on both bills are available at:
