SR1115 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1115 LRB098 21062 GRL 58803 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, More than 15% of Illinoisans struggle to provide enough food for their families and more than 22% of Illinoisans' children are food insecure, meaning they do not have consistent access to adequate food; and

WHEREAS, Illinois ranks 24th in the nation for childhood hunger and 21% of children live in poverty; and

WHEREAS, There are children in every county of the State of Illinois who experience food insecurity; and

WHEREAS, No child deserves to go without food, and children who are food insecure suffer from increased risk of chronic diseases, increased rates of behavioral problems, decreased academic achievement, and long-term social and economic impacts; and

WHEREAS, Federal nutrition programs play a pivotal role in helping low-income children access free, healthy meals, including the School Breakfast Program, the National School Lunch Program, Summer Meals Programs, Child and Adult Care Food Program Afterschool Meals Programs, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and

WHEREAS, More than 825,000 children participate in free and reduced price school lunch; 376,000 children participate in free and reduced price school breakfast; and 95,000 children participate in the summer meals program; and

WHEREAS, Students who eat school breakfast achieve 17.5% higher scores on standardized math tests and attend 1.5 more days of school each year than those who do not; and

WHEREAS, Thirty-two percent of low-income families find themselves without enough food in the summer months and 43% of low-income families find it harder to make ends meet in the summer months; low-income families spend an additional $300 per month in the summer months to provide food for their families; and

WHEREAS, 4,189,025 summer meals were provided through the Summer Food Service Program; these meals were distributed through 1,716 sites, of which only 882 were open to the community and did not require enrollment; and

WHEREAS, Summer Food Service Program sites are an ideal model for summer food delivery and provide on-site adult supervision and enrichment activities for children; however, more Summer Food Service Program sites are needed that are open to the community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we encourage schools participating in the School Breakfast Program to utilize alternative delivery models, such as Breakfast in the Classroom, Grab n' Go, and Second Chance Breakfast, to provide breakfast after the bell to all students at no cost to students; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage Summer Food Service Program sites to operate as open sites to the community so that all children can access healthy, nutritious meals during the summer; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage eligible providers to participate in Child and Adult Care Food Program Afterschool Meals Programs; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to develop a 2015 Child Nutrition Reauthorization that protects and strengthens the federal food and nutrition safety net for children; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we are opposed to cuts in funding to federal food and nutrition programs for children and families through the annual federal budget process or any other measures; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the members of the Illinois congressional delegation, the President of the United States, and the United States Secretary of Agriculture.