Child Nutrition Programs

CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS 

The Center for Civil Justice uses outreach, recruitment and advocacy to expand and retain participation in child nutrition programs. CCJ works with the Michigan Department of Education and other child anti-hunger advocates on the recruitment of new sponsors and sites for the At-Risk After School Meals, Summer School Meals and breakfast programs.  

For more information on any of the child nutrition programs, whether you want to be a sponsor for a site, or whether you're a parent looking for the nearest school meal program, please contact Marybeth Laisure, Child Nutrition Program Coordinator at: mlaisure@ccj-mi.org.

January 15, 2013 - Michigan's Gets "A" for Effort on National School Breakfast Scorecard.  Please click here to read the entire article and listen to the audio from the Public News Service.

Summer Food Service Programs (SFSP)  

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Program was established to ensure that low-income children, ages 18 and younger, continue to receive federally funded nutritious meals when school is not in session. Free meals are provided to eligible children at approved SFSP sites in areas with significant concentrations of low-income children (minimum 50 percent free/reduced rate) by schools, private non-profits and local or county governments. Schools, YMCA Recreation Centers, Boys & Girls Clubs, Salvation Army, Faith-based communities and libraries are all examples of sites that offer the SFSP successfully. Enrichment activities are one of the most important components of ensuring that children will continue to return to a meal site day-after-day. 

Summer Meal Programs are FREE to all children ages 18 years and younger. Once school lets out, many children go hungry during the summer, but only 15 percent of our children access this program. You can help increase participation in your community by encouraging families to take their children to a Summer Meal site. To find a site near you, please access the Michigan Department of Education's site locator map: www.mcgi.state.mi.us/schoolnutrition/ or contact the United Way for Southeastern Michigan's "Michigan No Kid Hungry" campaign. For a location near you can call 211 or text FoodMI to 877877 - for healthy food to fuel your summer!

This year Michigan No Kid Hungry has a new campaign:  Meet Up and Eat Up to encouarge kids to access summer food meals at various sites within their local communities.  When you see this sign...you will know that this site will serve a free and nutritious summer meal.

To help with our outreach efforts, you can download a copy of our Summer Meals brochure for distribution. The flyer explains what the School and Summer Food Service Programs are all about.  Download the flyer here:images/contentImages/file/FRACFoodProgramsBrochureForParents.pdf.  If you have additional questions, please contact Marybeth Laisure, Child Nutrition Program Coordinator at (989) 755-3120 ext. 306 or email at:  mlaisure@ccj-mi.org.

One page Fact Sheet on the 2013 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).  Please click here.

Child and Adult Food Care Program (CACFP)

This at-risk after-school meal component offers federal funding to after-school programs that serve a meal or snack to children in low-income areas. Any site that is participating in the at-risk after-school meal component of CACFP is eligible to claim reimbursement at the free rate for up to one snack and one meal served to each eligible participant per day. After-school care programs must include organized, regularly scheduled activities in a structured and supervised environment; an education or enrichment activity; care for children after school or on the weekends, holidays or school vacations during the regular school year; and must be located in a school area in which at least 50 percent of the children are approved for free or reduced-price meals. Examples of some eligible child care sites are:  licensed child care centers (YMCA’s, YWCA’s), recreation centers providing an after-school activity, and after-school care programs.

For CACFP information:  www.michigan.gov/cacfp

The Most Important Meal of the Day - Breakfast!!!

There are many benefits to eating a school breakfast, but not enough students take advantage of the program. Many students miss out on eating breakfast at school because the bus is late, they're worried about the stigma associated with being involved in the program (for low-income students) or because they're pressured to get to class on time. Breakfast in the classroom is a proven way to increase school breakfast participation and make sure all students are ready for a day of learning!  Studies show that students who eat breakfast have better health, miss fewer days at school, and generally do better in academics. Read more on a article supporting Breakfast in the Classroom.