Right now, with summer here, hundreds of thousands of children in New Jersey face missing out on meals they get at school. Only 18% of children in the state who are eligible to receive free summer meals access the program, leaving more than 300,000 youngsters underserved.
With one in five New Jersey children facing hunger year-round, crucial legislation will be making headlines in the weeks to come. Every five years, Congress must reauthorize child nutrition programs, and the current Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is set to expire this September 30th. School breakfast and lunch programs, summer feeding, and supplemental nutrition for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) are all be part of the funding debate. We are working to strengthen our ability to reach kids in need, especially during the summer, after school and on weekends. Feeding America has more on Child Nutrition Reauthorization, and what’s at stake for millions of children and families.