Child Nutrition Act
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The Child Nutrition Act (CNA) is a United States federal law signed on October 11, 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Act was created as a result of the "years of cumulative successful experience under the National School Lunch Program to help meet the nutritional needs of children. The National School Lunch Program feeds 30.5 million children per day (as of 2007). NSLP was operated in over 101,000 public and nonprofit private schools in 2007 (AmberWaves). The Special Milk Program, functioning since 1954, was extended to June 30, 1970 and incorporated into the act. The act also provided Federal funding assistance towards non-food purchases for school equipment.
The act established the School Breakfast Program, a federally assisted meal program that provides low-cost or free breakfasts to children in public and non-profit schools as well as child care institutions. During the signing of the act, the president remarked that "good nutrition is essential to good learning."
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[edit] Nutrition Standards
The National School Breakfast Program feeds 10 million children each day, and the National School Lunch Program feeds more than 30 million students. However, the national nutrition standards and meal requirements for these meals were created more than a decade ago.
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program (Food and Nutrition Service) was also designed to increase fruit and vegetables available to schools. In 2008 farm bill called for gradual expansion of program to all states by 2012 (AmberWaves).
An Institute of Medicine committee is in the process of recommending updates and revisions to the school lunch and breakfast programs, at the request of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The planning model used to develop current nutritonal standards and related meal requirements is based on legislation (USDA,1995)that provided specifications for use of 1995 Dietary Guidelines for American and the 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances (Stallings, 89). This model considers needs of the entire population of school children rather than specific individuals (Stallings, 91). The first part of the committee's work is contained in the report Nutrition Standards and Meal Requirements for National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs: Phase I. Proposed Approach for Recommending Revisions. The ultimate goal of the committee is to improve children's diets by reducing the apparent prevalence of inadequate and excessive food and nutrient intakes (Stallings,89). Phase II of the report is expected in Fall 2009. Some issues being discussed in Phase II research are the appropriateness of current age grade groups (Stallings 92)and how will cost effect the new revisions. The USDA does not anticipate additional funding to implement the revisions (Stallings, 106).
Some students have recognized the importance of a well balanced diet and started programs on a local level. Programs like the School Food Plus Initiative & E.A.T.W.I.S.E (Cooper, 54). Parents are also getting in on the action and have formed school district wellness committees around the country. They are looking forward to developing welness policies that will charge local school districts with setting targets for nutition education (Cooper, 84).
[edit] Importance of Programs
Without a proper diet children can lack proper brain development and may suffer from malnutrition. It is important for food programs such as these in schools because some students may receive all their meals from school. Without a well balanced diet it could cause a childs brain to not develop normally (Berger, 142). Children may be malnourished and could possibly suffer from Protein-calorie malnutrition (Berger 142). In the long run if children do suffer from lack of nutrients it will not only impede brain growth but effect their ability to learn as well (Berger, 142).
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- About the Child Nutrition Act of 1966
- "Picking battles: Healthy breakfasts challenge schools"
- The Institute of Medicine Review of National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program Meal Patterns and Nutrient Standards
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[edit] Other resources
Berger, Kathleen. The Developing Person Throughout the Lifespan. 6th ed. Worth, 2005.
Cooper, Ann, and Lisa M. Holmes. Lunch lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children. New York: HarperCollins, 2006.
Newman, Constance, Katherine Ralston, and Annette Clauson. "Balancing Nutrition, Participation, and Cost in the National School Lunch Program." 15 May 2009.
Stallings, Virginia A., and Christine L. Taylor, eds. Meal Requirements for National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Phase I. Porposed Approach for Recommending Revisions. Washington, DC: National Academies P. National Academies Press. 15 May 2009.
