Reynaldo Green Testifies at House Committee Roundtable Exploring How Schools Can Help in Ending Hunger and Improving Nutrition

"Last week, ​the National CACFP Forum's President, Reynaldo Green, testified at Chairman McGovern's "roundtable examining the role schools play in ending Hunger and improving nutrition." The purpose of this roundtable is to highlight food insecurity and consider what steps Congress and the Biden Administration can take to address hunger in America.

Green (minute 14) spoke about the importance of improving CACFP through the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act (CNR).  He highlights the need for CACFP participation, how it helps children's well being with consumption of nutritious meals while in child care and boosting quality in child care settings.  Green also points out that there are "thousands of child care providers that do not participate in CACFP due to systemic barriers."  He shares recommendations for CACFP improvement through the CNR.  Later in the Roundtable, Green, shares that as much as schools need facility equipment grants, so do child care providers in centers and homes.  He also talks about the great impact the CACFP has on children in pre-k making good choices in school and ties it together with farm to early childhood and education programs.

He talks about the flexibilities provided by the pandemic for non-congregate feeding - what worked, what didn't and how we can continue to look at policies to improve access to healthy and appropriate food to children.  

In closing he talks about school district and child care collaboration.  He then passionately speaks on behalf of child care providers by telling a child care provider story of feeding children as her own personal mission - with no reimbursement. Green tells the committee that providers need to be rewarded for the good work they do and the meals they serve, that they need to be reimbursed for the extra meal served.

Watch this very important discussion and Reynaldo Green represent the CACFP community and share the critical role the program plays in alleviating food insecurity and improving healthy child development.

Note: each link above will begin the recording approximately when Reynaldo speaks about that topic.

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