The weekly Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) News Digest highlights what's new on hunger, nutrition and poverty issues at FRAC, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, around the network of national, state and local anti-poverty and anti-hunger organizations, and in the media. The Digest will alert you to trends, reports, news items and resources and, when available, link you directly to them.
Issue 25, June 25, 2004
- Congress Approves Child Nutrition Bill with Greater Access to Healthy Food for Children
- Food Stamps Become Electronic; USDA Seeks Name Change
- FRAC Honored for Work on Electronic Food Stamps Benefits; Rep. Gutnecht Praises Program
- USDA Official States Commitment to Fighting Hunger
- Guide to Food, Nutrition, and Hunger Research Online
- Stores' High Prices Put Children's Aid at Risk
- U.S. Near Bottom in the World on Workers' Leave
- Squeezing SCHIP: States Use Flexibility to Respond to Ongoing Budget Crisis
- Florida Privatization of Food Stamps Raises Deep Concern
- High Milk Costs Affect Southeast U.S.
- Pennsylvania: Working Families Unable to Make Ends Meet
- New Hampshire: Farmers Markets Accept Food Stamps Electronically
- North Carolina: Schools Fail in Nutrition & Phys. Ed
- Unhealthy, Inexpensive Foods Cause Obesity to Plague Poor
- Tennessee: Program Simplifies Access for Poor to Aid
- Ohio: Kids Get Free Bus Rides to Summer Food Sites
- Florida: Summer Program Gives Children Healthy Meals
- Tennessee: Food Stamp Use Climbs 54 Percent
1. Congress Approves Child Nutrition Bill with Greater Access to Healthy Food for Children
Congress passed the child nutrition reauthorization bill this week. The President is expected to sign the bill into law before June 30, when the current extension on child nutrition ends. The legislation expands the availability of nutritious meals and snacks to more children in school, in outside school hour programs, and in child care, and will improve the quality of food in schools. "It is a sign of how fundamentally important, effective and popular these child nutrition programs are that, in an otherwise politically heated environment, Congress paused to unite in support of feeding our nation's children," said FRAC President James D. Weill. "Kids will be healthier, do better in school, and be better cared for in afterschool, summer, and child care programs."
Press Release:
http://www.frac.org/html/news/Press_06.24.04.html
Bill Highlights:
http://www.frac.org/pdf/Press_attachment_06.24.04.pdf
Press coverage:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/06/25/school.lunch.reut/index.html
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040625/LIFE02/406250344/1042
2. Food Stamps Become Electronic; USDA Seeks Name Change
("Electronic Cards Replace Coupons for Food Stamps," New York Times, June 23, 2004)
The "paper era" of food stamps is over. Electronic debit cards will replace paper coupons used for Food Stamp benefits nationwide, announced the administration. All states now issue benefits through an electronic swipe card. The change has helped reduce stigma, increase privacy, reimburse grocers faster, eliminate the need for participants to pick up their benefits in person, and reduce fraud. More than half the states now also use electronic benefits rather than cash welfare checks, and some states are moving to Women, Infants and Children (WIC) debit cards. The administration also has invited public comment for a new name for the food stamp program. Food stamps was the name first given to the coupon-based program during the Johnson administration.
Suggestions for a new name for the Food Stamp Program will be accepted
by USDA through August 23rd. Comments may be sent, faxed and/or e-mailed
to
John Knaus, Chief, Program Design Branch,
Program Development Division,
USDA FNS, 3101 Park Center Dr.
Alexandria, VA 22302
703-305-2486
john.knaus@fns.usda.gov
Federal register: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2
004/pdf/04-13761.pdf
For FRAC's February posting on "Renaming the Food Stamp Program":
http://www.frac.org/html/news/fsp/fspnamechange.htm
3. FRAC Honored for Work on Electronic Food Stamps Benefits; Rep. Gutnecht Praises Program
(U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 22, 2004)
On June 22nd, USDA marked the transition from the food stamp coupon era
to full nationwide Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) delivery of Food
Stamp Program benefits. USDA Secretary Ann Veneman and Representative
Gil Gutnecht (R-MN) congratulated state food stamp agency EBT personnel;
and USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Eric
Bost presented awards to states and key stakeholders for their EBT implementation
efforts. (See http://www.usda.gov/Newsroom/0251.04.html
). At the morning event with Secretary Veneman, Rep. Gutnecht (who chairs
the House Agriculture Subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Food Stamp
Program) referenced President Franklin Roosevelt's call for the freedom
from hunger in explaining the importance of the program. Six national
organizations were singled out for recognition by Secretary Veneman and
with awards to: FRAC, American Public Human Services Association, Food
Marketing Institute, National Grocers Association, Electronic Funds Transfer
Association (EFTA), and NACHA--The Electronic Payments Association.
4. USDA Official States Commitment to Fighting Hunger
("White House Working to Reduce Hunger," Columbus Dispatch, June 24, 2004)
U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Bost, in a letter to the editor in the Columbus Dispatch, underlined the Administration's commitment to fighting hunger. Bost reports, for fiscal year 2005, that the administration requested more than $50 billion for nutrition assistance programs. For food stamps, the administration hopes to continually "improve access for eligible people and increase flexibility for states."
http://www.dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/2004/06/24/20040624-A10-05.html
5. Guide to Food, Nutrition, and Hunger Research Online
("A Guide to Food/Nutrition/Hunger Research on the Internet," Poverty & Race Research Action Council, June 2004)
A compilation of food, nutrition, and hunger research is available at the Poverty & Race Research Action Council's website. The research guide is broken down by general information, public policies and research studies, the Food Stamp Program, Community Support, and hunger related to housing problems.
6. Stores' High Prices Put Children's Aid at Risk
("Stores' High Prices Put Children's Aid at Risk," Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2004)
WIC-only food stores serving low-income mothers charge as much as 16 percent more than supermarkets and other retail stores. The stores exclusively carry items such as milk, cheese, and eggs for participants in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. States receive federal money to administer WIC, so higher prices at the WIC stores limit the number of people states can serve. In California, a federal emergency fund has helped the state serve all eligible WIC participants in the past, but the fund is now depleted. The nationwide phenomenon has grown fastest in California, from 86 WIC-only stores in 1996 to 659 this year. Most of California's WIC-only stores are in the Los Angeles area and are popular among WIC participants because of the stores' convenience, stock of authorized WIC items, and employees who speak recipients' language and treat them respectfully.
7. U.S. Near Bottom in the World on Workers' Leave
("U.S. Lags Far Behind Most Countries in Ensuring Decent Conditions That Allow Workers to Care for Children, Family Members," National Partnership for Women & Families, June 16, 2004)
Out of 168 countries, 163 offer guaranteed paid leave to women for childbirth. The U.S. does not. The finding is from "The Work, Family, and Equity Index: Where Does the United States Stand Globally?" released by the Project on Global Working Families at Harvard University. The U.S. is also in the minority internationally with no paid leave for short- and long-term illness, no mandate for paid annual leave, and no requirement for a 24-hour rest period per week. State and local governments are doing a "poor job" of ensuring private sector employees can use paid sick days to care for ailing family members, according to "Get Well Soon: Americans Can't Afford to be Sick," by the National Partnership for Women & Families.
http://www.nationalpartnership.org/content.cfm?L1=3&L2=1.0&NewsItemID=597
8. Squeezing SCHIP: States Use Flexibility to Respond to Ongoing Budget Crisis
("Squeezing SCHIP: States Use Flexibility to Respond to the Ongoing Budget Crisis," Urban Institute, June 2, 2004)
In fiscal 2004, states had a cumulative nationwide budget deficit of $78.4 billion. Initially, states relied on their "rainy day" funds, budget and accounting maneuvers, or tobacco settlement funds to bridge funding gaps. However, states are increasingly cutting programs to make up for budget shortfalls. An Urban Institute report found that the ongoing state budget crisis meant even worse cuts in the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in 2003 than in 2002. States are slashing spending by freezing enrollment, placing thousands of eligible children on waiting lists, raising enrollment standards, raising cost sharing amounts (a strategy in half the states), eliminating outreach, and freezing or reducing reimbursement rates to providers serving SCHIP enrollees.
9. Florida Privatization of Food Stamps Raises Deep Concern
(Food Research & Action Center, June 23, 2004)
Florida's waiver request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to privatize
its food stamp program was questioned in a letter to U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture Ann Venemen from FRAC and other national anti-hunger groups.
The letter highlights concerns over a rapid statewide implementation plan,
with "virtually no testing" and no "fallback plan"
should the contractors fail to perform. Florida's waiver request does
not specify how private contractors will address hard-to-serve populations
such as those in rural areas and non-English speakers, client confidentiality,
and payment accuracy. Furthermore, the proposal does not require contractors
to meet any criteria or standards.
http://www.frac.org/html/news/Press_06.23.04.html
10. High Milk Costs Affect Southeast U.S.
("High milk costs affect region," Herald Dispatch, June 22, 2004)
The price of milk is "the highest I've ever seen it," says Fred Petty of Flatwoods, Kentucky. "Food across the board is up. The only thing not going up is wages." A spokesman for Kroger, a grocery store chain, has said milk and cheese prices are at a record high. The increase is partly due to disappearing family farms, higher fuel costs, higher feed costs, and fewer milk cows, according to a Chesapeake area dairy farmer. Prices are believed to have peaked in May and are predicted to fall for the rest of the year, according to CattleNetwork.com
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/2004/June/22/LNspot.htm
11. Pennsylvania: Working Families Unable to Make Ends Meet
("Working families can't make ends meet, study says," Pocono Record, June 16, 2004)
Families living well above the federal poverty line still struggle to meet basic needs, a study by PathWaysPA finds. Salaries have not kept pace with rising child care, health care, and housing costs. Public funds subsidize low-paying jobs through assistance such as food stamps, day care subsidies, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. The Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit for families have somewhat eased the gap between families' incomes and the real cost of living.
http://www.poconorecord.com/local/vpp22451.htm
12. New Hampshire: Farmers Markets Accept Food Stamps Electronically
("Help for food stamp users in N.H. farmers' markets," Providence Journal, June 10, 2004)
Farmers markets in several New Hampshire towns and cities are now accepting food stamp benefits electronically. Since the state switched from paper coupons to Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards in 1998, farmers markets have seen a sharp decline in their food stamp clientele because the markets could not accept EBT cards. Nutritionists wish to steer people towards fresh fruits and vegetables, given the high rate of obesity in the U.S. The farmers market EBT access is a three-year pilot program.
http://www.projo.com/ap/ne/1086894396.htm
13. North Carolina: Schools Fail in Nutrition & Phys. Ed
("Schools walk thin line," North Carolina News & Observer, June 16, 2004)
None of the school districts in the state's Triangle area meet nutrition and exercise standards set by experts, found a survey by the News & Observer. No district requires elementary schools to provide daily physical education or has policies regulating the type of foods sold in vending machines. Schools are adding profit-generating junk food to a la carte lines at the same time that they are cutting physical education classes out of packed school days. Foods sold in a la carte lines and in vending machines have never been worse, says Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for the Science in the Public Interest. Schools' bottom lines and academic concerns are taking precedence over combating childhood obesity. Soft drink companies and school districts have negotiated contracts to bring soft drink vending machines to schools. Wake County Schools, for example, signed a deal in 2001 with PepsiCo for $3.1 million over five years.
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1339634p-7462711c.html
14. Unhealthy, Inexpensive Foods Cause Obesity to Plague Poor
("Twin States Obesity," WTOK, June 14, 2004)
Obesity among poor people is "because people in poverty don't have the resources," said Evelyn Acklin, the local Health and Nutrition Agent for Mississippi State University's Extension Service. Some low-income families rely on food stamps, but "once those food stamps run out, by the middle of the month," says Acklin, "they don't have the money to buy the food. Usually, that's when they end up eating those foods with high calories." Healthier foods are more expensive. However, the health consequences brought about by poor diet are even costlier, statistics show.
http://www.wtok.com/news/headlines/830527.html
15. Tennessee: Program Simplifies Access for Poor to Aid
("Unified benefits guide set for poor," Commercial Appeal, June 8, 2004)
Poor persons in Memphis will soon have one central place to turn for information on public assistance. EarnBenefits, a program of New York-based nonprofit Seedco, will launch a guide this fall to local, state, and federal public assistance. A website called EarnBenefits Online will soon follow. EarnBenefits will initially cover earned income, child and dependent care federal income tax credits, food stamps, WIC, aid to women, infants and children, Medicaid, Medicare, Head Start, low-income home energy assistance, rent and mortgage assistance, employment training, Families First, and small business loans. "This potentially will bring millions of federal and state dollars into Memphis, strengthening businesses, neighborhoods and the community," said Abby Hughes Holsclaw of the National League of Cities. Seedco partnered with the City of Memphis, the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, and the National League of Cities to start EarnBenefits in Memphis.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/business/article/0,1426,MCA_440_2945630,00.html
16. Ohio: Kids Get Free Bus Rides to Summer Food Sites
("Free summer food program kicks off at city rec. centers," Columbus This Week Newspapers, June 17, 2004)
This summer, children may enjoy free breakfast and lunch at 173 sites in Columbus, Ohio, and get free transportation to eight of the city's recreation center sites that are serving meals. The federal program is administered locally through the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), the Children's Hunger Alliance, the Ohio Department of Education, and Columbus Public Schools. "We are trying to ensure that nutrition doesn't end when the school year ends," said Charlie Kozlesky, of the Children's Hunger Alliance. Kozlesky said that during the school year, 471,000 Ohio children eat free and reduced-price lunches and 174,000 receive breakfast. In summer, however, the number of children served drops to 56,000.
17. Florida: Summer Program Gives Children Healthy Meals
("Only fraction of eligible children eat subsidized meals," Sarasota Herald Tribune, June 20, 2004)
Thousands of Florida children eligible for nutritious, summertime meals are not receiving them. During the school year, the National School Lunch Program serves more than a million children in Florida from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. In the summer, the number of children in the Summer Food Service Program plummets to fewer than 135,000. Florida would have received $103 million in federal aid for SFSP if all million children had been served in 2002. Participation in SFSP has dropped every year for the last four years. Nationally, the summer food program serves one in five children in the National School Lunch Program, according to the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). In contrast, Florida serves one in ten.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040620/APN/406200566
18. Tennessee: Food Stamp Use Climbs 54 Percent
("Food stamp usage grows 54 percent - Bredesen blames increase on loss of marginal jobs," Maryville Daily Times, June 21, 2004)
One in seven Tennessee residents is on food stamps, and participation is up 54 percent from 2000, but the number may be stabilizing, say state officials. "Generally, the stereotypes aren't borne out by the data we see," said Bill Fox, an economist at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. "It's the working poor, generally small families, maybe a mother with one or two children who is working or trying to go to school." Richard Dobbs, director of food stamp policy for the Tennessee Department of Human Services. Dobbs attributes the increase to better outreach and revised federal eligibility guidelines that make it easier to qualify and retain eligibility, particularly for the working poor.