Congresswoman Hirono Announces $1.5 million for Hawaii to Help Children Get Healthy School Meals

Press Release

Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) today announced that the Hawaii Department of Education's Office of Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs has been awarded close to $1.5 million in competitive grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Hawaii will receive the largest amount of any of the six award-winning states.

The USDA Administrative Review and Training Grant program will help increase accurate processing of applications to ensure that every eligible child has access to healthy school meals.

"Hawaii's fiscal situation continues to be difficult. Tens of thousands of our keiki depend on nutritional programs for healthy meals. I commend the State Department of Education for going after this federal funding to help more of our neediest children," said Congresswoman Hirono, member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

The grant funding enables the state to administer meal programs more effectively by making sure that as many qualified students as possible--and only qualified students--are enrolled. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced-price meals.

During Fiscal Year 2010, more than 117,000 children in Hawaii participated in the school lunch program; more than 36,000 children participated in the school breakfast program; 6,200 children participated in the summer food service program.

A strong supporter of improving child nutrition programs, Congresswoman Hirono voted last year for the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which provides the most significant update in 30 years to the federal school meal program. The Congresswoman also joined 35 of her colleagues in urging the USDA to implement new healthy meal guidelines for food served in our schools.

For more information on child nutrition programs offered by the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, please visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/.

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