Senate Leadership
February 26, 2008
Williams Offers Testimony Today on Childhood Nutrition Programs
Senate proposals would help reduce childhood hunger
Testimony before the Select Committee on Children regarding SB 339 An Act Concerning Childhood Nutrition Programs
Senator Meyer, Representative McMahon, and Members of the Committee:
Looking at the epidemic of childhood obesity that is sweeping the country and our state, one would think that the problem of childhood hunger had been eliminated. Sadly, that is far from the case in Connecticut today. Many of our children arrive at school hungry and do not receive an appropriate, nutritious breakfast. The problem is often exacerbated when schools are closed during the summer months, when the children who normally receive healthy food at school aren't able to benefit from the Federal School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.
SB 339, AAC Childhood Nutrition Programs, would take significant steps to reduce childhood hunger in Connecticut. Making sure that children do not have to worry about an empty stomach while they are trying to learn is one of the most important things that we can accomplish.
This bill has four component parts, each of which contributes to the larger goal of reducing childhood hunger. The four parts are:
- Currently, schools are required to participate in the national School Breakfast Program only if more than 80 percent of their students qualify for free or reduced price meals. This bill would require schools to participate in the program if more than 40 percent of their students qualify for the free or reduced price program; this would require an additional 24 schools to participate in the School Breakfast program, and it would ensure that 376 schools that currently participate continue to do so.
- Innovative models have recently been developed to improve the participation rate in the School Breakfast Program of students who qualify. This bill would establish an In-Classroom Breakfast Program within the State Department of Education that would promote these innovative models and provide competitive grants to severe need schools that establish universal in-classroom breakfast programs. This expands a highly successful pilot program where the use of these innovative models increased participation by more than percent.
- Many school districts, but not all, have federal Summer Nutrition Programs that are open to all children. Often, even when a district does operate a program, it is only for three weeks or so, while summer school is in session. This bill, based in part on a highly successful Florida law, would require that school districts with at least one school where half of students are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch to operate a program for at least 35 days during the summer. It does allow for the local board of education to vote to be exempt from this requirement after an opportunity for public comment and to vote to renew that exemption yearly.
- The State Department of Education does not currently have an office where the goal is to maximize participation in these important programs. This bill would establish a Connecticut Child Nutrition Outreach Program, within the State Department of Education, the purpose of which would be to increase participation in the major federally-funded childhood anti-hunger programs.
The benefits of the school breakfast program have been well-documented. Students who eat breakfast have better test scores and ability to learn; fewer visits to the nurse's office; fewer behavioral problems at school; lower rates of absence and tardiness; better overall diets; and significantly less likelihood to be overweight.
Expanding these programs to serve more individuals will result in healthier, better achieving children at a low cost to the state. Thank you very much.
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