State Budget decisions are being made over the next two weeks, and CFPA and our anti-hunger partners are calling on Governor Newsom to adopt the Senate Budget proposal that allocates additional funding for school meals over the summer months. Show your support for ensuring kids are fed over the summer months by submitting a letter of support today.
Background: School meal programs are a vital source of nutritious food for millions of California students whose families struggle to make ends meet. In this time of crisis, free meals served by schools continue to be an essential resource. As the 2019-20 school year comes to a close, children’s continued access to these meals reaches a critical junction. While USDA recently extended several flexibilities to meal programs through August 30, 2020, there is no state or federal policy guaranteeing those programs will continue to operate during the summer months. Closing sites or otherwise diminishing meal service will leave low-income children without ready access to much-needed free meals. Now, with economic hardship and food insecurity on the rise, extending and expanding the reach of free meal programs is imperative.
What’s next: The Senate Budget plan proposes that $63.2 million in available federal dollars (ESSER – Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief funds) be allocated to schools for meals served until the start of the next academic year. We are calling on the Governor to ensure the final state budget package includes the $63.2 million in child nutrition funding and pairs the funding with an expectation that children can continue accessing meals from schools throughout the summer months.
How you can help: We encourage organizations and individuals to use this sample letter or write their own letter in support of this request to protect children from hunger this summer. Final budget decisions are being made this week, so please voice your support as soon as possible!
Stay up to date on State Budget and child nutrition advocacy opportunities by signing up to receive our email action alerts at https://nourishca.org/subscribe/
Questions? Contact Jared Call at 213.482.8200 ext 201
