Jacksonville, Florida - Nemours endorses the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and urges Congress to pass this Child Nutrition Reauthorization legislation without delay. This bill marks a significant advancement in the field of childhood obesity by providing children ample opportunities to develop healthy nutrition, physical activity and screen time habits that will last a lifetime.
As a leader in the fight against childhood obesity, Nemours, a nationally recognized child health system, recognizes the value of working in all the places where kids live, learn and play including child care, school, primary care and in the community, to help children grow up healthy.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act addresses key issues that have in the past prevented children from establishing healthy habits. The following provisions included in the bill particularly resonate with Nemours, since we have successfully implemented a place-based, multi-sector approach that has helped to stem the increase in childhood obesity in Delaware:
- Promoting Nutrition and Wellness in Child Care Settings through establishment of nutrition standards for child care providers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and providing technical assistance and training to help providers implement the standards.
- Strengthening Local School Wellness Policies by requiring that all local educational agencies participating in school meal programs provide opportunities for public input and transparency in the formulation of policies and have implementation plans, including compliance measures.
- Adopting National Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools by providing the Secretary of Agriculture with the authority to establish national nutrition standards for all foods sold on the school campus throughout the school day.
Nemours commends Congress’ dedication to supporting healthy child development and urges the passage of S.3307, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. This bill has the potential to greatly improve the health of our nation’s children.