On February 21, Senator Mike McGuire (North Coast) introduced Senate Bill 499, the “California-Grown for Healthy Kids Act,” which would create and sustain equitable, healthy, hunger-free schools through an extra 10¢ per breakfast reimbursement for school districts to purchase California-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. To earn this incentive, school districts must, at a minimum, serve breakfast universally free in all schools, and serve breakfast and lunch universally free at very high poverty schools.
Students can’t learn when they are hungry – yet nearly 1.7 million California children are food insecure and at-risk for hunger. Skipping meals and tight food budgets are all part of the unbearable cost of living for families across California. School meals can help students get the food they need to learn and grow, while also offering major support to families struggling to make ends meet. California has seen improvements in access to school meals, but two major barriers persist – stigma and quality of food.
SB 499 seeks to help all schools become hunger-free.
Take Action Now!
Show your support for SB 499 by submitting a letter of support today. Check out our sample letter with submission instructions to get started.
To learn more, visit CFPA’s SB 499 page.
Sign-up to receive SB 499 legislative updates. link
Questions: Contact Elyse Homel Vitale at 510.433.1122 ext 206, or elyse@cfpa.net
