Child Nutrition

California is home to one of the world’s largest economies—and the nation’s highest rate of child poverty. Millions of children across our state rely on publicly funded nutrition programs operated by schools, community organizations, and child care providers. These programs are a lifeline for the more than 2 million California kids living in households that struggle with food insecurity. 

All children deserve to be well nourished and thrive. 

Our Work

Nourish California advocates progressive policy solutions that help connect children with the food they need to learn, grow, and achieve at their fullest potential. We work to improve the reach and quality of nutrition programs intended to serve California kids. 

Our state's extraordinarily high cost of living means many families will struggle to make ends meet without qualifying for any nutrition assistance. So we must also advance solutions that serve children whose families fall into the harmful gap between a living wage and program eligibility.

We led efforts to enact landmark legislation that gives all students in California’s highest poverty schools guaranteed access to free breakfast and lunch each day. We also led the hard-fought campaign to give California’s charter school students equitable access to nutritious, affordable school meals.