President Obama on Monday signed into law the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 at Harriet Tubman Elementary School in Washington D.C. Mr. Obama was joined by First Lady Michelle Obama, who has championed the reduction of childhood obesity through the Let’s Move! Initiative, and administration officials, Members of Congress, teachers, students and parents from several schools in the area.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 aims to improve the quality of school breakfasts, lunches and other foods sold in schools while also strengthening nutrition programs that serve young children, including WIC and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, President Obama said that, “Today is a great day for kids throughout our country as they will soon have healthier, and more nutritious food in their schools. As we continue to focus on the twin issues of childhood obesity and hunger, we will increase access to good, quality meals in school cafeterias so the nutritional needs of our youngsters are better met.”
Mr. Obama added that the new bill will allow the USDA to be much more effective and aggressive in responding to obesity and hunger challenges for America’s kids.
See More Details on the Healthy, Hunger-Free Act of 2010 Below:
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 authorizes funding for federal school meal and child nutrition programs and increases access to healthy food for low-income children. The bill that reauthorizes these programs is often referred to by shorthand as the child nutrition reauthorization bill. This particular bill reauthorizes child nutrition programs for five years and includes $4.5 billion in new funding for these programs over 10 years.
Many of the programs featured in the Act do not have a specific expiration date, but Congress is periodically required to review and reauthorize funding. This reauthorization presents an important opportunity to strengthen programs to address more effectively the needs of our nation’s children and young adults.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
Improves Nutrition and Focuses on Reducing Childhood Obesity Gives USDA the authority to set nutritional standards for all foods regularly sold in schools during the school day, including vending machines, the “a la carte” lunch lines, and school stores. Provides additional funding to schools that meet updated nutritional standards for federally-subsidized lunches. This is an historic investment, the first real reimbursement rate increase in over 30 years. Helps communities establish local farm to school networks, create school gardens, and ensures that more local foods are used in the school setting. Builds on USDA work to improve nutritional quality of commodity foods that schools receive from USDA and use in their breakfast and lunch programs. Expands access to drinking water in schools, particularly during meal times.
Sets basic standards for school wellness policies including goals for nutrition promotion and education and physical activity, while still permitting local flexibility to tailor the policies to their particular needs. Promotes nutrition and wellness in child care settings through the federally-subsidized Child and Adult Care Food Program. Expands support for breastfeeding through the WIC program.
Increases Access Increases the number of eligible children enrolled in school meal programs by approximately 115,000 students by using Medicaid data to directly certify children who meet income requirements. Helps certify an average additional 4,500 students per year to receive school meals by setting benchmarks for states to improve the certification process. Allows more universal meal access for eligible students in high poverty communities by eliminating paper applications and using census data to determine school-wide income eligibility. Expands USDA authority to support meals served to at-risk children in afterschool programs.
Increases Program Monitoring and Integrity Requires school districts to be audited every three years to improve compliance with nutritional standards. Requires schools to make information more readily available to parents about the nutritional quality of meals. Includes provisions to ensure the safety of school foods like improving recall procedures and extending hazard analysis and food safety requirements for school meals throughout the campus. Provides training and technical assistance for school food service providers.
