Virginia’s state budget agreement acknowledges the critical role that school cafeterias play in addressing childhood hunger and boosting academic success.
The General Assembly’s two-year spending plan includes $17.6 million to increase the per-meal school breakfast reimbursement rate. The funding will incentivize participation growth and help local school divisions navigate increased costs.
As lawmakers return to Richmond on Monday, June 22 to vote on the budget, No Kid Hungry Virginia Director Sarah Steely celebrates the proposed nutrition funding with the following statement:
“School meals help kids learn, grow and reach their full potential, while helping parents stretch their grocery budgets – more important than ever amidst the affordability crisis families are facing right now. We applaud Governor Spanberger and Virginia’s lawmakers for supporting this critical budget provision, which will help ensure our dedicated school nutrition teams are resourced to do what they do best: feed kids.
School cafeterias are already facing rising food and operational costs, and last year’s unprecedented cuts to federal programs like SNAP and Medicaid are going to have a ripple effect across all nutrition programs, including school meals. We are proud Virginia is taking action at the state level to ensure school meals can weather these changes, while continuing to nourish our kids and support academic success.”
Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in the commonwealth. According to No Kid Hungry, one in seven children in Virginia may face hunger this year.
Research shows that hunger has long-term ramifications on children, including lower test scores, weaker attendance rates, and a higher risk of hospitalizations and chronic diseases. No Kid Hungry Virginia and its partners focus on school meal programs as a key strategy to end childhood hunger in Virginia.
