• For many kids, school food provides the main source of nutrition they receive on a daily basis.  During the government shutdown, this program is especially critical for our children due to cuts in the SNAP and other supplemental nutrition programs as well as the sudden disappearance of millions of paychecks.  But even our school lunch program is in jeopardy.  Some school districts are now reporting that if the shutdown is not resolved by November 1, their free and reduced-price lunch program will take a major hit.  Suddenly the fractures and nuttiness that pervades Washington may result in hundreds of thousands of hungry children
• Make no mistake: The school breakfast and lunch programs feed millions of children who really need it.  During the economic decline, the number of children registering for the National School Lunch Program has climbed - up 25 percent in some states. 
• And it's not just the ability to provide food, but what kids actually get to eat at school, which fortunately has been improving.  Over the past year, 50 million school kids saw the promise of a healthier lunch menu thanks to the "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act."  The program requires schools to serve more fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains as well as more sources of lean protein, and encourages school gardens and nutrition education programs. 

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