For Immediate Release: January 9, 2026
Media Contact: Sanjida Nahar | snahar@actumllc.com
No Kid Hungry California Responds to Governor Newsom’s Budget Proposal
Sacramento, Calif. – In response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2026–27 state budget, No Kid Hungry California applauds the Governor’s continued commitment to addressing child hunger and protecting critical investments that ensure students across the state have consistent access to nutritious meals — particularly at a time when families are facing rising food costs and federal nutrition programs face growing uncertainty.
The Governor’s proposal reaffirms California’s Universal School Meals Program as a foundational part of the state’s education system, providing access to two free, high-quality meals each school day for all TK–12 students and serving nearly one billion meals annually through state and federal programs. The budget reflects updated cost estimates and higher meal reimbursement rates to support continued implementation of the program statewide.
In addition, the proposal includes targeted investments to strengthen the quality and sustainability of school meals, including funding for kitchen infrastructure, equipment, and training to support freshly prepared meals made with locally grown ingredients.
As Congress continues to debate federal spending priorities, proposed federal policy changes are expected to increase pressure on food assistance programs such as CalFresh, which supports more than three million California households. In this environment, state leadership plays an increasingly critical role in ensuring children and families do not fall through the cracks.
“At a time when federal nutrition programs face uncertainty, California’s commitment to universal school meals remains a lifeline for students and families, said Kathy Saile, Director of No Kid Hungry California. “Protecting and fully implementing these programs helps ensure children are healthy, ready to learn, and supported during a challenging economic moment.”
No Kid Hungry California looks forward to working with the Governor and the Legislature as the budget process moves forward to protect and strengthen these vital nutrition programs, ensuring California continues to make progress in the fight to end child hunger.
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at nokidhungry.org.
Last update: January, 9, 2026
