Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization

Healthy Nutrition in Child Care Legislation Headed to Governor!  On the 2nd to last day of the legislative session, the Senate finally passed AB 2084 (Brownley) on a vote of 22 to 15.  AB 2084 is a CFPA-sponsored bill that would improve the nutrition standards for beverages served in licensed child care facilities.  The bill will soon be headed to the Governor where it will need some help.  Click here to see how easy it is to send a message to the Governor to urge him to sign this much needed bill.

Water in Schools Legislation Nears Finish Line  SB 1413 requires school districts to provide access to free, fresh drinking water during meal times in school food service areas by July 1, 2011.  The bill has passed the Legislature and is headed to the Governor.  Given that the Governor is the Sponsor of the bill, a signature is very likely, but your support is still wanted!  Watch a recent NBC video on the bill here.  Call the Governor at 916.445.2841 to urge him to sign this bill!  Making a call is easy and quick.

CFPA's 2010 State Legislative Tracking Page!  Click here to see the legislation we are sponsoring, supporting, and monitoring.  And, how you can help!

US Congress Raids Food Stamp Benefits!  Tell them to STOP!  Last week, Congress passed a jobs bill partially funded by reduced food stamp funding.  Then, the US Senate recently passed its child nutrition reauthorization bill that is also partially funded with a cut to food stamp benefits.  CFPA and over 1600 groups across the country have mounted opposition to these cuts!  In response, a group of 106 House Democrats sent a letter to House Speaker Pelosi and other key House members urging them to not cut food stamp benefits to fund child nutrition programs.  For more info, click here.

Los Angeles Times Editorial; Feeding hungry Californians: The state must reform its food stamp policies to enroll more who qualify The LA Times published an opinion editorial on Friday, June 25th discussing the critical need to improve California's food stamp reporting practices. A copy of the editorial is available here.

School's Out... Who Ate?  CFPA's Annual Summer Food Report Released         

CFPA just released our annual analysis of summer nutrition in the Golden State.  Click here for more info, including a press release, a copy of the report, and more. 

     To find a free lunch site near you, click here.

The BreakfastFirst Campaign

On April 19^th, CFPA and its statewide partners officially launched the BreakfastFirst Campaign, a three-year initiative to improve access, participation, and nutritional quality in the School Breakfast Program throughout California.  School breakfast supports student health, bolsters academic achievement, and brings federal dollars into California’s schools.  Unfortunately, millions of students across the state miss out on the benefits of school breakfast.   Serving school breakfast “after-the-bell” (in the morning after the start of the school day), helps ensure that all students are well nourished and ready to learn.  Find out more at the BreakfastFirst Campaign website!

To watch a news video about the Campaign launch event, click here. To read media coverage of the event, click here and here.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell, announces the statewide launch of the BreakfastFirst Campaign at Sherman Elementary School in San Diego.

San Diego Charger, Luis Castillo, visits with students eating Classroom Breakfast during the BreakfastFirst Campaign launch event. 

Wrap-Up: School Meal Book Event

In early April, Jan Poppendieck and other panel guests discussed her book "Free for All: Fixing School Food in America".  The discussion focued on the need to explore the state of school meals, as well as the challenges and oppurtunities presented by reauthorization. You can read a follow up to the event, "Seven Reason's Why the Time is Ripe For School Lunch Reform" by Sarah Henry.

Listen to event in three parts (Part1)  (Part 2) (Part 3)

Senate Ag Committee Chair, Senator Lincoln, Releases Child Nutrition Bill

New Analysis on California's Controversial SSI Cashout Policy

New California Food Stamp Characteristics Report Just Released

Updated: "Promoting Water Consumption" Webpage                                          

We at CFPA have been doing a lot of work to promote water consumption.  As a healthy (and free) beverage, promoting water consumption is a recognized and effective obesity prevention strategy.

First Lady Launches Campaign to Figh Childhood Obesity!

The First Lady, Michelle Obama, recently launched a sweeping campaign, "Let's Move!", to fight childhood obesity.  Her campaign focuses on encouraging healthy choices for families at home, improving school nutrition, promoting physical activity, and expanding access to affordable, healthy food.  CFPA has long worked on and support ed these issues.

Click here for for more on the First Lady's campaign and other news on child nutrition from our most recent alert.

The 411 on Phone Interviews: CFPA Launches Website on Food Stamp Waiver   

This week, California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA) launched the much anticipated 411 on Phone Interviews in California website. Designed by CFPA, the 411 on Phone Interviews website is a key resource for food stamp administrators, program analysts, and advocates across California implementing the waiver of the face-to-face interview in the Food Stamp Program. 

New CA-Specific Analysis: Millions Food Insecure, Billions in Lost Food Stamp Benefits

Following on the heels of new national data on food insecurity and hunger, we have two new analyses specifically focused on hunger in California.  Both of these analyses include county-specific information.  One analysis finds that almost three million low-income adults struggle with food insecurity in California and over 10 million people, including children, live in these food-insecure households. 

A companion report, "Lost Dollars, Empty Plates", analyzes California's poor participation in the Food Stamp Program and the billions of federal dollars we are leaving on the table and the billions more we are losing in related economicy activity.

Click here for much more information including county-specific data.

On Friday, November 20th, the Oakland Tribune ran an op-ed by CFPA's Alexis Fernandez on this report.  Click here to read the article.

Thirsty? New CFPA Report on Promoting Water Consumption in Schools 

California has taken some good steps forward in getting rid of sugary drinks in schools.  But, we haven't done as good a job of promoting healthy choices, namely water.  Water is an essential nutrient and is (obviously) calorie-free.  Best of all, tap water is free!  Unfortunately, a recent survey found that 40% of schools report having no access to free water in cafeterias.

CFPA has just finished a report highlighting challenges with providing free, clean, and appealing tap water in schools as well as strategies to promote consumption.  Click here for CFPA's water page, including a link to our report.

Let us know what's going on in your community's school on water access/consumption.  Contact Kumar Chandran, kumar@cfpa.net, 510.433.1122 x129.

USDA Report: Hunger and Food Insecurity at Highest Recorded Levels 

A report released on Monday, November 16th from the US Department of Agriculture found that over 1 in 7 Americans are "food insecure" (almost 15% of the total US population) or struggle to put food on the table.  In addition, almost 6% of Americans experience "very low food security" - the most severe form of food insecurity (what used to be called "hunger".)  The report draws from data collected in December 2008 and therefore reflects the consequences of the economic downturn.  For more on this report, click here.

Strong improvements to the economic and nutritional safety net are necessary to combat hunger and food insecurity.  Such improvements are currently being considered at the federal level with the upcoming Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization.  Click here for more information on how to get involved.  Also, stay tuned for updates from CFPA that highlight our state legislative agenda for 2010.

CFPA Applauds IOM Report, Urges USDA to Act Quickly                               

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its long-anticipated recommendations to improve meal patterns and nutrient standards for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.  Click here for links to the report “School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children”, CFPA’s statement about the report, news articles and a copy of testimony CFPA presented to the IOM panel in January 2009.

Second Chance Breakfast Evaluation                                                                   

By serving children when and where they are ready to eat, Second Chance Breakfast (2CB) benefits students and schools.  CFPA's recent evaluation of breakfast programs in the Newark Unified School District shows that 2CB can improve school breakfast participation, support student health, and foster academic achievement all while bolstering a district's fiscal strength. 

The full report of CFPA's evaluation details school site visits, stakeholder interviews, analyses of school meal participation data, and a review of financial records.  The report, which addresses common barriers to Second Chance Breakfast, also includes policy recommendations to improve school breakfast and best practices for 2CB programs.  An executive summary is available here.

Thanks to Your Efforts, the Feds are Forcing the State to Reduce Paperwork for Food Stamps!                                                                               

48 other states use simplified reporting to improve access for clients, reduce administrative demands, and reduce errors.  Over 80 groups and individuals delivered this letter to the feds urging them to end a waiver and get California on a path to simplified reporting.  The response?  The feds heard you and have told the state to get moving! See the letter from USDA here.

 Coming Soon to a County Near You: no Assset Test for Food Stamp Applicants with Children

Click here to find out more on the upcoming change to Food Stamp eligibility for households with children.  Get the flier here.

Fairy Tales and Fraud                                                                                           

Read this lighthearted one-pager on the Governor's serious finger printing expansion efforts. Call the Governor (916.445.2841) and urge him to accept the Legislature’s plan to save millions to by ending finger imaging for food stamps and to abandon his efforts to fingerprint blind, elderly, and disabled Californians receiving IHSS.

2009 Summer Food Report

"School's Out... Who Ate" 2009 Summer Food Report.  CFPA's annual report on summer nutrition has just been released.  This year's report highlights the decline of summer school California is witnessing this summer and its impact on nutrition for low-income children.  Click here for more info and a link to the report.

The Food Stamp Program was designed specifically to help families maintain an adequate level of nutrition, and the program’s complexity allows it to tailor benefits to those with a greater need. Families with high costs associated with housing, child care and medical expenses can deduct qualifying costs, allowing the expenses to be offset in part by higher food stamp benefits. As a rule of thumb, for every $3 in deductible expenses, food stamp benefits increase by roughly $1, up to the maximum benefits allotment for the household. This new report assesses potential changes to California’s approach to the program's  dependent care and medical deductions as a means of maximizing nutrition resources available to the state’s low-income individuals.

Click here for an estimate of what the final stimulus package, signed by President Obama,  will mean for your county in terms of food stamp benefits and administration.  The 13.6% benefit increase should go into effect April 2009!

Advocate for asset test removal for ALL applicants to Food Stamps!  Click here to get the new CFPA flier that tells county offices and community organizations what they can do to help advocate to remove the asset test for ALL Food Stamp applicants as soon as possible!

New Report: Recess from the Recession: How School Meals Can Do More to Help Struggling Families  More and more struggling families in California are relying on the federal food assistance programs, including school meals. With school going back into session, CFPA has just released a report highlighting recent economic woes and the importance of school meals for low-income families.  The report also includes a number of policy recommendations for local, state, and federal officials.  Executive Summary  Full Report

How does rising food prices effect low-income Californians nutritional needs?  Click here for more info.  Click here for an op-ed in the Sacramento Bee by CFPA's Director of Legislation.

County Nutrition Profiles:  CFPA has updated our county profiles with the most recent data available on poverty, hunger, food insecurity, and other nutrition-related figures as well as participation data for the federal food programs for each county.  Click here to learn more about your county.

New Report on County Food Stamp Program Administration:  CFPA recently published a study analyzing how counties administer the Food Stamp Program.  Click here to read this report.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but many children in California are not realizing its benefits.  CFPA's new report, Running on Empty: A Report on the School Breakfast Program in California, finds that 50 of California's 58 counties have school breakfast participation rates at or below the national average and that over 500 schools with significant low-income populations fail to even provide breakfast.  The report highlights a number of policy recommendations to remedy these problems.