1. Universal access: Improving access to the school nutrition programs must be a priority. States and local communities need be fully engaged as partners in our efforts to identify innovative strategies to ending child hunger. We cannot rest while so many of our young children struggle with access to food, which is why I'm calling on Congress to provide tools to increase participation, streamline applications, and eliminate gap periods. Another strategy for getting more children into the programs should be simplifying the application process through increased direct certification. If a child already qualifies for other assistance programs there is no reason why the parents of that child need to be bothered filling out one more application to qualify for school breakfast or lunch. Bonus payments should be offered to schools that effectively reach out to children who currently qualify but who are not participating
Hooray! This one is great. And Congress is definitely working on making it happen.
2. Increasing participation in School Breakfast must be part of reauthorization. On school days, almost two-thirds of children who participate in the lunch programs do not eat a school breakfast. And School Lunch is served in around 100,000 schools, while the breakfast program is only available in 88,000. We should be providing higher reimbursement rates for schools serving breakfast and combining that support with USDA-purchased foods to give more children the option of a healthy breakfast.
More "USDA-purchased foods" (a.k.a. commodities)? Well, that much is bad. A report from the Robert Wood Johnson foundation found that more often than not, the commodities provided to schools are complete crap. But more participation in breakfast is big. How about universal classroom breakfast? That's where you give all of the kids breakfast in the classroom in schools where a majority of kids qualify for free lunches. It takes away the stigma of receiving free handouts because all of the kids get it, and it ensures that everyone gets to eat, even if you can't get to school ahead of time to eat in the cafeteria. I've also heard that it reduces tardiness because the kids want to get to school on time so they can eat. When kids get breakfast, nurse visits go down and learning goes up.
3. Helping to substantially improve the nutritional quality of the meals being served to our children is high on the list of "must haves"in reauthorization. A recent Institute of Medicine Study commissioned by USDA sounded an alarm about the nutritional value of school meals. The study concluded that our children are eating too much sugar, salt, and fats and too few fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy products. This mix may help explain why one half of the calories consumed by children ages 6-11 in this country are "empty" calories. We need to better align our meals with the Dietary Guidelines, leading to increased consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low fat and fat free dairy products. USDA is working as aggressively as possible to implement the Institute of Medicine recommendations, but we also know that the improved foods will increase costs for local schools. That is why I am calling on Congress to offer support in the form of financial reimbursements and equipment as part of this reauthorization.
Awesome! Just awesome! I've been waiting for Vilsack to say he wants to implement the IOM's recommendations for a long time.
4. Funding for equipment: Recognizing that many schools do not have the equipment in place to improve food selections, the reauthorization should include funding to improve school kitchens so they can provide meals that meet the Dietary Guidelines and offer fresh fruits and vegetables. At the same time, we need to support school food service providers with resources for the critical training and credentialing they need to do their jobs.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
5. The reauthorization effort should also ensure that all foods served in schools are healthy and nutritious. A 2006 study showed that cookies, cakes, pastries, and high fat salty snacks are three times more likely to be sold outside the school cafeteria than fruits or vegetables. Foods served in vending machines and the a la carte line shouldn't undermine our efforts enhance the health of the school environment. We must have the capacity to set standards for all the foods served and sold in schools. It doesn't mean the end vending machines in schools - but instead ensuring that they are filled with nutritious offerings to make the healthy choice the easy choice for our nation's children.
Wonderful!
6. Making sure that parents and students have correct and complete nutritional information about foods being served in schools must be part of the reauthorization effort. With better information and simple assessments parents can know what is available in their child's cafeteria and can assist their children in making the right nutritional choices.
I agree, but I'm not sure that the USDA is the best candidate to give out nutrition advice.
7. Strengthening the link between local farmers and school cafeterias must remain a priority for this legislation. Supporting farm-to-school programs will increase the amount of produce available to cafeterias and help to support local farmers by establishing regular, institutional buyers.
Woohoo!
8. Guaranteeing the integrity of the nutrition programs remains central to a credible reauthorization. Support for new technology will help schools avoid inaccuracies in eligibility requirements, and maintain the confidence that our help is only provided to those who need it.
I think this means "Placate those who bitch and complain that kids who don't deserve it are getting free lunches." Or something like that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not for spending taxpayer dollars wastefully on people who don't need the help. But school lunch fraud by third graders isn't a problem I've heard about in all of my years of following the school lunch debate. |
