Contact: Sanjida Nahar | snahar@actumllc.com\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sacramento, Calif.<\/span> \u2013 No Kid Hungry California commends Governor Newsom for signing the final 2025\u201326 state budget and reaffirming his steadfast commitment to children\u2019s health and well-being\u2014even in one of the most challenging fiscal years in recent memory.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite significant budget constraints, the Governor protected critical investments in programs that ensure every child in California has access to the nutrition they need to learn, grow, and thrive. This includes full funding for the Universal School Meals Program, bringing the state\u2019s annual investment to approximately $1.5 billion. An additional $160 million in one-time funds was included to support program implementation through kitchen infrastructure, training, and staffing investments. Together with $2.6 billion in projected federal reimbursements, this funding guarantees that every public school student continues to receive free, nutritious meals during the school day.<\/span><\/p>\n The final budget also secures $21.9 million in ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund to implement the new federal Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program\u2014known as SUN Bucks\u2014matching an equal amount of federal funding. These resources will help ensure children who rely on school meals during the academic year have access to groceries during the summer months as well.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGovernor Newsom\u2019s leadership in this budget cycle makes clear that California\u2019s kids remain a top priority, even in times of economic difficulty,\u201d said Kathy Saile, Director of No Kid Hungry California. \u201cUniversal school meals and the Summer EBT program are game-changers in the fight against childhood hunger. We are deeply grateful that the Governor continues to champion these vital programs.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The final budget also preserves California\u2019s long-term commitment to food access, with $117.2 million included in 2027\u201328 and $163.2 million in 2028\u201329 to expand the California Food Assistance Program, ensuring nutrition support reaches more low-income Californians.<\/span><\/p>\n No Kid Hungry California also extends its heartfelt thanks to First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom for her continued leadership and advocacy on behalf of children\u2019s nutrition and overall well-being.<\/span><\/p>\n ###<\/span><\/p>\n About No Kid Hungry\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Last Update: July 3, 2025<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none”…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91,2,4,90,51],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-18169","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-advocacy","7":"category-blog","8":"category-press-release","9":"category-summer-ebt","10":"category-summer-meals"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNo Kid Hungry California Applauds Final Budget\u2019s Inclusion of Universal School Meals and Summer EBT Amid Difficult Fiscal Climate<\/span><\/h3>\n
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