The SMART (Summer Meals Alternative Relief and Transportation) Act has been introduced in Congress by U.S. Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and John Cornyn, R-Texas. Its enactment would make sure that youngsters, irrespective of the place they dwell, have entry to the diet they desperately want over the summer time.
I wholeheartedly applaud Sen. Booker for his leadership in championing options for little one starvation, which the pandemic has vastly exacerbated. Through my job at Save the Children — the place we work tirelessly to finish little one starvation — I do know the numerous influence this laws would have.
Being a registered dietitian with a grasp’s diploma in public well being, I do know the important position diet performs in youngsters’s development, improvement and supreme success in life. It saddens me to know that solely about 14% of kids who obtain free or reduced-price faculty meals truly obtain meals throughout the summer time, largely because of a scarcity of transportation to meal websites.
The SMART Act is necessary as a result of it will allocate $10 million a 12 months for 2021-2025 to permit meals to be delivered on to youngsters’s properties in hard-to-reach areas.
Join me in thanking Booker for his management, and in urging different policymakers to prioritize little one diet. All children, it doesn’t matter what their ZIP Code is, ought to have entry to the nutritious meals they should succeed and thrive.
Cassidy Pont, Marlton, supervisor, federal authorities relations, Save the Children
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