HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

EXPANDING AND REAUTHORIZING CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS

WHEREAS, mounting evidence, such as research from the Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital which found that hungry children are more likely to have behavioral and academic problems -- shows the connection between good nutrition for children, before and during school hours -- and academic success; and

WHEREAS, much attention has been focused on the hours of 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm as the period of time when children are most at risk, and recent reports have focused on the lack of after-school care and activities for school-age children; and

WHEREAS, the national food-bank network Second Harvest reports that requests for emergency food assistance by children increase dramatically when school is out, and the USDA has found that low-income children depend on the School Lunch Program for one-third to one-half of their nutritional intake each day; and

WHEREAS, in The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 1997 annual survey on hunger and homelessness 58 percent of those requesting food assistance were families with children, and the number of families requesting emergency food assistance increased in 91 percent of the cities by an average of 13 percent; and

WHEREAS, an evaluation of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) found participation significantly improves the nutritional intake of preschool children, the children served are more likely to have a regular source of medical care and developmental monitoring,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges Congress to pass comprehensive child nutrition reauthorization legislation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges Congress to raise the age limit to 18 for participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program to allow after-school programs to serve at-risk teenagers, and restore the option of a fourth meal for children in child centers over eight hours; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges Congress to provide start-up funds for both the Summer Food and the School Breakfast Programs, and reduce bureaucratic obstacles to allowing Summer Food sponsors to operate more sites and serve more participants.