Subscribe to the RSS feed.House Subcommittee Approves $2.3 Million Health Investment in Breakfast
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CHP | Posted on: June 26th, 2009
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Before The Legislature •
Disparities •
Economic Issues •
Policies and Laws •
Nutrition •
Public Health
As the Oregonian reports, a House Ways and Means subcommittee approved a proposal to eliminate the cost of school breakfast for kids who qualify. Currently, kids in the qualifying income bracket pay 30¢ for breakfast and 40¢ lunch.
Did you know Oregon ranks as the third hungriest state in the United States?
According to the Oregon Food Bank, nearly one in five children lack adequate access to food and 36% of emergency food box recipients are children.
The Oregonian notes, “State officials aren’t sure how many more breakfasts kids will eat, but they’re estimating it will be a lot — nearly 4 million a year, costing the state $2.3 million in its 2009-11 budget.”
Hunger in children is associated with poor health, greater hospitalization rates, and increased needs for mental health services, while kids who don’t face hunger do better in school and have fewer absences.
If you think the $2.3 million is too much of an investment in these times of budget shortfalls, please comment here.
If you think we share a basic value that says that children shouldn’t go hungry, please share your voice.
If you think this is the kind of investment Oregon needs to make, and you can applaud loud enough, we’d like to know that too.
For more information about the school meal programs, visit the state’s school nutrition programs web page.
To make your own investment toward preventing hunger in Oregon, visit the Waterfront Blues Festival July 2-5, 2009 in Portland.
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