Health

"One in five kids relied on food stamps last year, yet nearly half of low-income children didn't sit down to the most important meal of the day, according to a recent report released by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). The organization determined the figures by comparing the number of kids who partook in the free lunch program to those who took advantage of the gratis breakfast option, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture."

"A new report shows 11 million low-income children from around the nation participate, on an average day, in free breakfast programs but when it comes to reaching hungry kids New York is at the 'back of the bus.' The report from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) shows New York coming in at 40th among states. Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, says there is plenty of room for the state to do better, especially since breakfast programs are paid for with federal funding."

"In Omaha, Nebraska, $297,500 was granted to 20 local agencies. Grants will fund a wide range of programs including health and human services for homeless and low-income families, after-school enrichment and arts programming for disadvantaged youth, and senior support services."

"U.S. student performance on international exams has fallen compared to other industrial nations in recent years, a fact policymakers and others often cite in arguing that U.S. public schools need rapid reform in order to maintain their global competitiveness.But now two organizations are out with a new study that challenges that narrative by comparing the United States to eight other nations on a raft of socioeconomic measures. The upshot of the report is that the single-minded focus on test scores has led policymakers to overlook other important trends that affect U.S. public education, including high levels of economic inequality and social stress. Schools can't be expected to solve these larger problems on their own, argue the study's authors, the Horace Mann League and the National Superintendents Roundtable."

" But there is one that is proven, paid for, and possible for every child in this country and that is school breakfast. It's a federal entitlement for low income kids yet barely half of them receive it. It is exempt from sequestration's automatic budget cuts and enjoys a long track record of bipartisan support. A change as simple as moving breakfast from the cafeteria before school begins, to the classroom or "after the bell" enables us to reach many more children."

"Grissom is among the almost half-million low-income elders and people with disabilities being initially enrolled in the state's new program, and many have been confused by CMC's complexities, leaving them uncertain of whether they will be able to remain with their current doctors and other health care providers. If successful, the state would expand the program to 1.1 million people in all 58 counties."

"A longitudinal study has found that while higher income children eat worse at school, low-income kids eat healthier than at home. While the political controversy rages over federal efforts to manage local school lunch programs, more data on who has actually been helped by the program over time is needed. The results in Preventive Medicine showed that fruit and vegetable intake was higher among low income adolescents on days when they consumed meals at school. The opposite was true for high income adolescents who consumed fewer fruits and vegetables when school was in session, compared to summer months. While in school, all students consumed fruits and vegetables with similar frequency regardless of income level."

"A bill that would provide meals for low-income students on days schools are shut down over winter weather was vetoed by Mayor Vincent Gray over concerns about funding and endangering children, leaving one Councilmember who created the legislation 'baffled.'"

"You can't learn what you can't see. That's the basic principle behind 'Vision to Learn,' a new campaign in Delaware to give low-income students free eye exams and glasses."