| | | | On the Hill Congress will be greeted by several anti-hunger-related legislative actions when it returns from recess on September 9, including Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR). Several CNR “marker” aspirational bills, but with provisions that could be adopted in the final bill, have been introduced recently that address improving access to nutrition during the summer months, school meal debt, and lunch shaming. See the CNR bills FRAC is supporting. Meanwhile, outrage continues over the Trump Administration's proposed Revision of Categorical Eligibility in SNAP rule, which would take food away from 3.1 million people, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities, by making them ineligible to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s first line of defense against hunger. On August 21, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) released a letter from 70 mayors objecting to the proposed rule. The letter is still open for additional mayors to sign on. Advocates are encouraged to thank mayors who already signed on, ask other mayors to add their names, and urge all mayors to submit individual comments before the September 23 deadline. | | | | | | | | | | | | Public Charge Rule Would Increase Hunger and Poverty The chilling effect of the administration’s “public charge” rule would force immigrant families — including those with U.S. citizen children — to make impossible choices between food, health care, housing, and family. FRAC strongly opposes this deeply flawed, mean-spirited rule, which is yet another attempt by the administration to instill fear and make it more difficult for immigrant families — particularly families of color and low-income families — to access programs that safeguard their health care, nutrition, and housing. The rule is slated to take effect on October 15 unless Congress or the courts act to stop or delay it. | | | | | | Mounting Evidence Shows Benefits of School Meals FRAC’s just-released ResearchWIRE reviews the myriad benefits of the school meals programs, and summarizes the latest research on recent policy changes and innovative strategies that are increasing program access and improving student outcomes. There is ample evidence of the benefits that participating in these nutrition programs plays in alleviating food insecurity and poverty, and in providing the nutrients that students need for growth, development, learning, and overall health, particularly for the nation’s most vulnerable children and adolescents. | | | | | | Schools Are Shaming Kids Who Can't Afford Lunch, Here Are Ways to Stop It Lunch shaming disproportionately affects marginalized families and goes beyond just hurting a student’s self-esteem, as reported in Nation Swell. Missing meals hinders children’s development and success, and for many low-income students, lunch might be their only meal of the day. Lunch-shaming bans are steps in the right direction, but they don’t address the root cause: Not every student can afford lunch. Community eligibility is an option that eliminates the meal debt issue and any stigma associated with participating in a free school meals program. | | | | | | | | | | President of American Federation of Teachers Opines on Proposed
SNAP Rule The Trump administration’s proposed SNAP rule, which slashes the categorical eligibility option, would take away SNAP benefits for over 3 million people, and jeopardizes access to free school meals for an estimated 500,000 children. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten explains how the proposed rule would leave low-income children hungry at home and school. | | | | | | Broad-based Categorical Eligibility and School Meals The Trump administration’s latest proposed rule would gut states’ option to use “broad-based categorical eligibility” (Cat El). If adopted, the rule would threaten 500,000 children’s access to free school meals. In this blog, FRAC’s Director of School and Out-of-School Time Programs Crystal FitzSimons and Legal/Food Stamp Director Ellen Vollinger provide a 101 on the critical connection between Cat El and access to school meals. | | | | | | Root Causes of Hunger Across the U.S., more than 40 million Americans live in households that struggle against hunger. Dr. Kofi D. Essel (Children’s National Health System, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health) says if we want to effectively end hunger in America, we must first take on racial and economic root causes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Food Research & Action Center
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