Childhood Poverty: Recent HeadlinesChildhood Poverty: Recent Headlineshttp://www.understandingvt.org/childhood-poverty-news/2008-09-08T15:09:31ZSquarespaceMore kids eligible for free breakfasts next yearhttp://www.understandingvt.org/childhood-poverty-news/2008/8/18/more-kids-eligible-for-free-breakfasts-next-year.htmlVCF Staff2008-08-18T16:25:23Z2008-08-18T16:25:23ZVermont Public Radio reports that "more Vermont children will be eligible to receive free breakfasts at school this fall [when] students who previously qualified for reduced-price breakfasts will now be able to get those meals for free." Indeed, "Vermont will become the fourth state to fully-fund free breakfasts to children in families that make up to 180 percent of the poverty level," or $38,000 a year for a family of four. "The legislature appropriated $170,000 to pay for the child's portion of a reduced breakfast-that's 30 cents per meal." Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger's Dorigen Keeney commented, "What we're finding is, and the reason the legislature did this was, because school food service has told us for a long time that reduced prices students often don't have that 70 cents per day to pay for breakfast and lunch. So what they will do is not get breakfast, and save their 40 cents for lunch."

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]]>New report says more Vermont children are getting free summer luncheshttp://www.understandingvt.org/childhood-poverty-news/2008/8/4/new-report-says-more-vermont-children-are-getting-free-summe.htmlVCF Staff2008-08-04T13:16:05Z2008-08-04T13:16:05ZVermont Public Radio reports that a new report has found that  "more poor Vermont children are enrolling in programs that provide free or reduced-price lunches in the summer." For example, last summer the state provided 5,700 children will free or reduced-priced meals. According to the national Food Research and Action Center, "Only seven states reach a greater percentage of eligible children."

Meanwhile, nutrition experts say there are still thousands of kids who probably go hungry when the school cafeteria closes each spring." Sarah Kunz, the summer outreach specialist at the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, noted that despite its summer successes, "Vermont reaches only one in four kids who qualify for free lunches at school."

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]]>13 sites in central Vermont now offer free summer meals for childrenhttp://www.understandingvt.org/childhood-poverty-news/2008/7/3/13-sites-in-central-vermont-now-offer-free-summer-meals-for.htmlVCF Staff2008-07-03T15:07:48Z2008-07-03T15:07:48ZThe Times Argus reports that 13 sites in central Vermont now offer free summer meals for children. For example, the
city of Barre has just launched a free summer lunch program to combat the rise of childhood hunger. This year, Barre has six drop-in sites open to all children 18 and under: The Aldrich Library, the Hedding United Methodist Church, the Barre City Elementary School, the Highgate Apartments, Green Acres, and the city pool. In addition, the "Northfield Boys and Girls Club and Brown Public Library in Northfield also provide meals that are open to all children" and "meals are being offered for the first time to children enrolled in shorter programs at three other sites: Barre Auditorium (the Frost Heaves camp), the Kellogg-Hubbard library in Montpelier, and Williamstown Elementary School's camp."

Sarah Kunz, the summer nutrition outreach and policy specialist at the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, noted "that more Vermont families are struggling to put food on the table, based on the increa