Why this could be a big year for child nutrition 

The Biden Administration is inviting Congress to invest in our nation’s child nutrition programs and there are several legislative vehicles that could bring about large scale change: the infrastructure package (American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan), the discretionary budget, and Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR). Regardless of the route taken, now is a good time to let your members of congress know your child nutrition priorities.

Read the full post to learn about these opportunities and how you can weigh in. 
 

Let’s do the SHIG

“Tell your story once.” That was the driving statement behind several of our policy proposals in the early 2000s. We heard from Californians who had to “tell their story all over town” just to get support in meeting their basic needs. Once we discovered that a myriad of state privacy laws were cultivating misunderstanding and barriers to better care –- we got to work. 

Read the full post to learn how our investigation into information sharing barriers led to the release of updated Statewide Health Information Guidance (SHIG) in April 2021.
 

Growing Momentum Behind Food4All Campaign

This week and next are critical for budget advocacy, and all the hard work of the Food4All coalition is getting noticed by key decision makers. On May 11, the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services heard the Food4All budget request for the second time this session. Check out our reflection post to watch a clip of Subcommittee Chair Susan Talamantes Eggman expressing her strong support for the proposal. Ahead of the hearing, the California Budget & Policy Center released two data hits demonstrating the need for food assistance, regardless of immigration status. View this Tweet thread to see both charts. 

Food4All in the News (and on Facebook)

• Let’s make California a state where there is food for all by Senator Hurtado, CalMatters
• Lawmakers Consider Food Assistance for Undocumented Californians Public News Service
• Facebook Live Discussion (En Español) on Food4All with Senator Melissa Hurtado, promotoras from Vision y Compromiso, and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. 

Keep up the Momentum!
Use our Social Media Toolkit to share the #Food4All message with key decision makers through next week!

Tune in to the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative's (CVIIC) Facebook at 4PM on May 19th for a Live discussion on the importance of Food4All to the Central Valley. 
 

Advocacy Update

• SB 464: Food4All Heads to Senate Appropriations
  Next week, we will hear whether SB 464 Food4All gets out of Senate Appropriations and onto a Senate floor vote. Let's stay loud and make sure decision makers know NOW is the time to invest in the heath of our immigrant communities. Share your support directly with key decision makers! Click to use our easy email tool (English & Spanish).

• SB 107: CalFresh Simplification Heads to Senate Floor
  Following its unanimous, bipartisan passage in the Senate Human Services Committee, SB 107 (Wiener) was deemed eligible for Rule 28.8 by the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill will now head directly to the Senate Floor. Read more here...

Replays & Resources From April's Awesome Events

• Tools to Optimize CEP Grouping & Funding
  Learn from the California Department of Education about the benefits of enrolling in CEP and discover how to use Meals Count to effectively and efficiently group your schools for CEP, and how to use the CEP financial calculator to assess and maximize CEP funding. 
  View the event slides and recording on our website. 

• ENACT Day 2021
  Over 150 people from across California joined ENACT Day 2021. We discussed priorities for an equitable recovery with guest speakers Dr. Rhea Boyd and Dr. Flojaune Cofer, and held over 20 meetings with legislators, so participants could share what's most important to health in their communities.Thank you to everyone who showed up to amplify our collective power!
  View the event recording and advocacy materials on our website. 

• Promoting Immigrant Health Coaching Session
  Hosted by the CA-PIF, Outreach & Communications Workgroup with special guests Brown Issues, the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition and the Inland Empire Immigrant Youth Collective. Get access to the outreach content hub and learn how to develop and share key messages that will help immigrant communities get the nutrition supports and healthcare they need.
  View the event recording and materials on our YouTube channel.