No Kid Hungry Colorado 2012 Overview

Transcription

1 Plan Progress

2 No Kid Hungry Colorado 2012 Overview No Kid Hungry Colorado is a partnership between Hunger Free Colorado, Share Our Strength, and the Office of Governor John Hickenlooper. Through a statewide, public-private coalition the Campaign is working to ensure that all children have nutritious food at home, at school, and in their communities. The goal of the campaign is to end childhood hunger in the state by 2015 based on a comprehensive Five Year Plan. The Plan consists of 10 goals that intend to expand access to healthy food where children live, learn and play. The Plan was originally drafted in 2009 when findings showed that Colorado had the fastest growing rate of child poverty in the nation. i Since 2000, the number of Colorado children in extreme poverty has increased 150 percent. ii While the Five Year Plan presents the strategies that will accomplish the campaign s purpose, this Plan Progress includes the work that has been accomplished in Colorado since 2009 as well as the 2012 goals which are aligned to meet the overall 2015 goals. The reported successes come from work led by the three Campaign partners and the many Campaign. Partners Work Colorado is the only state with an Executive Order from the governor to comprehensively and strategically end childhood hunger through the No Kid Hungry Colorado Campaign. To support the Executive Order and the campaign, Hunger Free Colorado staff work to support schools, state agencies and community organizations to expand participation in the Summer Food Service Program, School Breakfast Program, afterschool meals and snacks programs, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Share Our Strength works in Colorado through Cooking Matters, which empowers low-income families to stretch their food budgets so their children get healthy meals at home. Steering Committee The Steering Committee is the key constituent group, appointed by the Office of Governor John Hickenlooper, which provides strategic direction and expertise related to accomplishing the goals of the Campaign. Members: Darlene Barnes, USDA Food and Nutrition Services Reggie Bicha, Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Enterprise Partnerships Sue Birch, Colorado Health Care Policy and Financing Jane Brand, Colorado Department of Education, Office of School Nutrition Dinah Frey, Hunger Free Colorado, Ex-Officio Member Summer Gathercole, Share Our Strength Robert Hammond, Colorado Department of Education Cynthia Haren, Western Dairy Association Holly Kingsbury, The Denver Foundation Mark Kling, Family Resource Center Association Karla Maraccini, Office of Governor John Hickenlooper Bethany Pace-Danley, Clyde Miller P-8 School Amy Pezzani, Food Bank of Larimer County John Salazar, Colorado Department of Agriculture Kathy Underhill, Hunger Free Colorado Chris Urbina, MD, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Dr. Lisa Whitesides, Kaiser Permanente You Can Help End Child Hunger in Colorado! For more information on this key collaboration or to join the campaign, contact Dinah Frey, No Kid Hungry Colorado Campaign Manager, at (303) or dinah@hungerfreecolorado.org. i Piscopo L Kids Count in Colorado! Colorado Children s Campaign. March ii Piscopo L Kids Count in Colorado! Colorado Children s Campaign. March 2011.

3 No Kid Hungry Colorado Five Year Plan One Provide children access to healthy meals during the summer (Expand the Summer Food Service Program) 2011 Accomplishments: 1,236,811 meals served* 2012 Key Activities: Outreach to schools and nonprofits, use of consultants, public service announcements, expansion grants, partnership with libraries Two Ensure that all children have access to a nutritious breakfast (Expand the School Breakfast Program) 2011 Accomplishments: 108,509 average daily school breakfasts served, a growth of 11.25% 2012 Key Activities: Outreach to schools, use of consultants, expansion grants, Breakfast Challenge Three Support families with the ability to purchase and acquire food to prepare at home (Increase access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, known as FDPIR) 2011 Accomplishments: SNAP application shortened from 26 to 8 pages 2012 Key Activities: Application assistance and outreach, Work Support Strategies Grant efforts, SNAP outreach training program for application assistance Four Ensure the nutrition and health of pregnant and postpartum women, infants and young children (Improve nutrition through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, known as CSFP) 2011 Accomplishments: WIC Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) feasibility study completed 2012 Key Activities: Examination of the decrease in WIC participation, certification length, split tender and shelf identification of WIC eligible products Five Support child care providers ability to provide healthy meals and snacks (Increase access of good nutrition through the Child and Adult Care Food Program in child care settings) 2011 Accomplishments: Share Our Strength s Cooking Matters for Child Care Professionals started 2012 Key Activities: Outreach and education to child care providers about afterschool meals program, cooking classes for child care providers, evaluation of the decrease in the number of licensed child care centers and homes

4 No Kid Hungry Colorado Five Year Plan Six Help afterschool programs provide children with good nutrition and healthy snacks (Increase participation in afterschool nutrition programs) 2011 Accomplishments: 485 sites participated in afterschool nutrition programs, a growth of 23% 2012 Key Activities: Outreach to schools and afterschool programs Seven Encourage children and families to make healthy food choices through nutrition education (Increase participation in nutrition education classes) 2011 Accomplishments: 47,235 in nutrition education classes, a growth of 8.3% 2012 Key Activities: Nutrition education and shopping classes Eight Ensure access to high-quality nutritious food in low-income communities and schools (Increase access to nutritious food through improving statewide policy, improving school meal quality and decreasing food deserts) 2011 Accomplishments: 8 Culinary Workshops provided to school districts through LiveWell Colorado 2012 Key Activities: Connect excess produce from local gardens to local pantries, implement Seed to Table School Food Program Nine Ensure families can access food from food banks and food pantries (Increase access to food through charitable food distribution) 2011 Accomplishments: 15.7 million pounds of fresh produce distributed by food banks, a growth of 12% 2012 Key Activities: Food banks distribute produce, Produce for Pantries initiated Ten Improve the economic security of working families (Increase access to the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit) 2011 Accomplishments: 6,000 free tax returns filed, a 50% increase in low-income families served 2012 Key Activities: Outreach flier for Tax Help Colorado and Hunger Free Hotline, work with colleges to provide free tax preparation *This number includes both child and adult meals served.

5 No Kid Hungry Colorado 2012 Plan Progress Goal Baseline Accomplishments 2012 Goals 2015 Goals ONE Expand the Summer Food Service Program 767,892 total summer meals served 980,000 summer meals served through 63 sponsors at 315 sites (2010)** 1,236,811 meals served through 70 sponsors at 392 sites (2011)** 10% increase in the number of summer meals served for a total of 1,360,492 meals Approximately 2 million meals served in summer 2015 TWO Expand the School Breakfast Program An estimated 84,000 school breakfasts served daily on average 97,530 school breakfasts served daily on average (2010) 108,509 school breakfasts served daily on average (2011) An additional 15,000 school breakfasts served daily on average Approximately 164,000 free and reduced-price school breakfasts served daily on average Three Increase access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) 42% of eligible households in Colorado participated in SNAP 143 people/month on the Southern Ute reservation and 343 people/ month on the Ute Mountain reservation participated in FDPIR 48% of eligible households in Colorado participated in SNAP (2010) Eliminated asset test for SNAP applications (2010) Online application for SNAP implemented and written application shortened from 26 pages to 8 pages.(2011) 3 formal SNAP outreach plans with community partners (2011) Align redetermination periods for all assistance programs to eliminate redundancy 65% of applications processed within seven days by year's end, one goal of the Work Support Strategies Grant 10% increase in SNAP participation rate 75% of eligible households participate in SNAP All eligible are aware of SNAP and FDPIR and make informed decisions 90% of all applications processed within seven days Express lane eligibility established (2011) Four Improve nutrition through Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)* *Available in some counties 109,464 WIC Breastfeeding rates: initiation 76.4% 6 months 29.6% 12 months 18.9% 5% decrease in WIC participation due to declining birth rate (2011) Breastfeeding rates: initiation 77.5% 6 months 29.1% 12 months 19.2% Piloted program for farmers to accept WIC checks for fruits and vegetables (2011) Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) feasibility study completed (2011) Expand WIC farmer's authorization fruit and vegetable program. Further progress made on implementation of EBT by % increase (funding permitting) in WIC WIC benefits available through EBT cards Increase breastfeeding rates WIC beneifts usable at alternative food outlets

6 No Kid Hungry Colorado 2012 Plan Progress Goal Baseline Accomplishments 2012 Goals 2015 Goals Five Increase access of good nutrition through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in child care settings 39,376 benefited from CACFP through home and center child care providers 2,431 home and center child care providers participated in CACFP 2,419 home and center child care providers participated in CACFP (2010) 2,343 home and center child care providers participated in CACFP (2011) Cooking Matters for Child Care Professionals (CMCCP) started with 34 trainings (2011) 375 child care providers will participate in CMCCP All licensed childcare providers informed about CACFP Licensing and technical assistance agents knowledgeable about CACFP programs CACFP Meal Quality Assessments implemented Six Increase participation in the afterschool nutrition programs 393 programs participated in the Afterschool Snack Program, with average daily participation of 11,516 Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act expanded funding for the At-Risk Afterschool Meal Program to all 50 states (2010) 485 sites participated in Afterschool Snack and/or Supper Program (2011) 241 At-Risk Afterschool Meal Program sites (2011) 20 additional aftershool providers participate in At-Risk Afterschool Meal Program Colorado Department of Education to change application period for snack program from biannually to any time All afterschool programs are knowledgeable about afterschool nutrition funding and can access At-Risk Afterschool Snack and/or Supper Program 100 additional afterschool providers participate in at-risk afterschool nutrtion funding Seven Increase participation of nutrition education classes Colorado State University (CSU) Extension and Integrated Nutrition Education Program (INEP) reached 34,500 Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) reached 2,797 Cooking Matters provided nutrition education to 5,979 CSU Extension reached 1,994 adult ; INEP nutrition education reached 34,646 (2011) EFNEP education reached 2,789 (2011) Cooking Matters provided nutrition education to 7,806 (2011) CSU Extension and INEP nutrition education to reach 15,000 * Cooking Matters to provide nutrition education to 9,340 EFNEP nutrition education will reach 3,100 Nutrition education opportunities will be available in more than 50% of counties in Colorado Increase the number of SNAP- Ed by 2%

7 No Kid Hungry Colorado 2012 Plan Progress Goal Baseline Accomplishments 2012 Goals 2015 Goals Eight Increase access to nutritious food through improving statewide policy, improving school meal quality and decreasing food deserts No statewide food policy council in existence Inconsistent meal quality between districts Urban and rural food deserts exist Statewide Food System Advisory Council and Denver Healthy Food Access Task Force established (2011) 8 Culinary Workshops focusing on scratch cooking were provided for school district food service professionals (2011) 61 school gardens and 5 school farms created (2011) 70 school gardens and 9 school farms start School meals include healthy and fresh options Increased shelf space for fresh produce in retail markets and convenience stores Increased acces to fresh produce in lowincome communities in retail stores and farmers markets Increased access for schools to local fresh produce nine Increase access to food through charitable food distribution Food banks distributed 14 million pounds of fresh produce through member agencies 14 million pounds of fresh produce distributed (2010) 15.7 million pounds of fresh produce distributed through November (2011) 16 million pounds of fresh produce to be distributed by food banks 17 million pounds of fresh produce distributed by food banks through member agencies Food pantries receive education and technical assistance on healthy food choices for clients ten Increase access to Federal Earned Income Tax Credit $515,000,000 in Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) refunds 9 community colleges helped 4,000 families prepare tax returns at no cost 12 community colleges helped 6,000 low-income families file tax returns for $11.2 million (2011) Nearly 1.5 million EITC educational materials distributed (2011) 30 tax preparation sites prepare and file 7,500 returns for lowincome families EITC recipients are aware of nutrition programs and nutrition program recipients are aware of EITC New goal established because original 2015 goal has been met or will be met ahead of schedule. *Fiscal Year 2011 was a transition year: Colorado State University Extension models changed with the new USDA SNAP-Ed guiance (paraprofessional model), which includes more classes for each client and fewer clients reached overall in the initial stages. Certain activities are no longer counted as client contacts for USDA reimbursements. **This includes both child and adult meals served.

8 Governor Hickenlooper Supports No Kid Hungry Colorado Dear Participants, Thank you for your interest in, and support for, the No Kid Hungry Colorado Campaign. We at the Capitol, in partnership with Share Our Strength and Hunger Free Colorado, are more than half way into our Five Year Plan to end childhood hunger in Colorado by We have made considerable progress by reaching milestone accomplishments in providing year-round access to nutritious meals for our youth, but more needs to be done if we are to reach this critical goal. NoKidHungry Colorado Childhood hunger is a dire and growing problem in our state. Colorado has the fastest growing rate of childhood poverty in the nation, and thousands of homes struggle daily to put food on the table. One in every 4.5 families with children reported difficulty in paying for food last year, and 271,000 children live at risk of hunger. Lack of access to nutritious food has crippling impacts on a child s ability to grow, learn, and succeed in school and elsewhere. Hunger contributes to anxiety, higher rates of chronic illness, depression, and emotional problems. It impairs academic achievement in all subjects, leads to higher dropout rates, and harms children s ability to participate in sports and other enriching activities. For the last two years, No Kid Hungry Colorado has made enormous strides in connecting children to sources of free nutritious food at schools, summer camps, churches, community centers, and elsewhere. We served over 1.1 million meals at nearly 400 sites through the Summer Food Service Program in 2011 (up from only 760,000 in 2009). We ensured that over 100,000 school breakfasts were served daily through the School Breakfast Program (up from 84,000 in 2009). We increased access to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by shortening the application and making a bilingual version available online. But more must be done. While 500,000 Colorado children receive free or reduced-price meals daily during the school year, their consistent nutritional intake falters after school and during the summer. Only 10 percent of children eligible for free or reduced-price school meals participate in the Summer Food Service Program. Only 48 percent of eligible households participate in SNAP to acquire affordable food throughout the year. We must continue to increase accessibility and awareness to ensure the success of these programs. We are certainly on our way, but we need your help. Go to NoKidHungry.org/Colorado to learn more, become involved and donate or volunteer in our effort. Find out how your company can serve as a sponsor to provide summer meals, how your community center can serve as a site to distribute food, or how you can get involved in expanding awareness of the ease of accessibility to SNAP or afterschool nutrition programs. Our Five Year Plan is an ambitious goal, but it is an achievable one. With your help and the support of our incredible partners, we can end childhood hunger in Colorado by Thank you. Sincerely, Governor John W. Hickenlooper State of Colorado