{"id":13719,"date":"2025-12-23T16:25:47","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T16:25:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/virginia\/?p=13719"},"modified":"2025-12-23T16:25:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T16:25:47","slug":"celebrating-2025-wins-for-virginia-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/virginia\/2025\/12\/23\/celebrating-2025-wins-for-virginia-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating 2025: Wins for Virginia Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As 2025 comes to a close, we are reflecting on a year of real challenges, including rising grocery costs and SNAP delays. At the same time, we saw remarkable progress in making sure children in Virginia have access to the meals they need to learn, grow, and thrive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thanks to the dedication of so many across the Commonwealth, including those serving meals, leading programs, shaping policy, and supporting families, 2025 brought substantial victories for Virginia\u2019s children.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Expanding School Breakfast\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Virginia continued to make <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/virginia\/2025\/12\/08\/attendance-momentum-nearly-32000-more-virginia-students-eating-breakfast-at-school\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">meaningful gains in school breakfast participation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, helping more students start their day with a healthy meal. An additional 32,000 students are eating breakfast at school since the start of the Youngkin Administration\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.doe.virginia.gov\/teaching-learning-assessment\/all-in-va\">ALL in VA plan<\/a> to address chronic absenteeism in 2023. These gains reflect the ongoing efforts of school nutrition teams, administrators, and community partners to connect breakfast with the school day through models like Breakfast After the Bell.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">School breakfast is more than a meal. It supports attendance, academic success, and physical well-being, and mental health. As Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera said, <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cWe know that starting the school day with a healthy breakfast has a profound impact on students\u2019 attendance and academic success. Across the Commonwealth, we\u2019re seeing stronger Standards of Learning test results, and a best\u2011in\u2011nation reduction in chronic absenteeism. These positive outcomes are the result of support and investment in our students, alongside the collaboration and dedication of Virginia\u2019s incredible teachers, school leaders, and parents. Making sure students have access to the right nutrition is essential for whole\u2011child wellness, and a crucial part of this success.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This milestone has been highlighted in local media coverage, showing how school breakfast programs are making a real difference for students across Virginia. Some of the coverage includes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"https:\/\/www.wtvr.com\/news\/local-news\/virginia-school-breakfasts-dec-16-2025\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wtvr.com\/news\/local-news\/virginia-school-breakfasts-dec-16-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"1\">Free<\/a><a title=\"https:\/\/www.wtvr.com\/news\/local-news\/virginia-school-breakfasts-dec-16-2025\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wtvr.com\/news\/local-news\/virginia-school-breakfasts-dec-16-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"1\"> breakfast improves Virginia students\u2019 chronic absenteeism<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"https:\/\/www.13newsnow.com\/video\/life\/food\/more-virginia-students-eating-school-breakfast-as-program-fights-chronic-absenteeism\/291-78a8a735-f6f7-42c5-a7fc-03d87b2e7bc0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.13newsnow.com\/video\/life\/food\/more-virginia-students-eating-school-breakfast-as-program-fights-chronic-absenteeism\/291-78a8a735-f6f7-42c5-a7fc-03d87b2e7bc0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"2\" data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">More Virginia students eating school breakfast as program fights chronic absenteeism<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"https:\/\/www.wric.com\/news\/virginia-news\/va-students-are-eating-school-breakfast-attending-classes-report\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wric.com\/news\/virginia-news\/va-students-are-eating-school-breakfast-attending-classes-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"3\">More Virginia students are eating school breakfast and attending classes: report<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<h3><b>Solving Summer Hunger\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Summer is often the hungriest time of year for kids, but 2025 brought real progress in helping families access the food they need. Through SUN Bucks, expanded rural non-congregate meal programs, and targeted grantmaking, more children across Virginia were able to count on consistent nutrition when school was out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Virginia SUN Bucks (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bestpractices.nokidhungry.org\/programs\/summer-ebt\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Summer EBT<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) provided essential grocery support at a time when family food budgets are stretched the most. More than 664,000 children received benefits, with over $79 million issued statewide. Families shared that SUN Bucks helped them buy more fruits and vegetables, reduce stress, and keep healthy food on the table during the summer months.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the same time, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bestpractices.nokidhungry.org\/programs\/non-congregate-summer-meals\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">rural non-congregate summer meals<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> continued to expand access in communities where transportation and long distances make traditional sites difficult to reach. In 2025:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">64 counties offered at least one rural non-congregate meal site, up 25%t from 2024<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Food banks reached new kids in Albemarle, Bath, Buckingham, Floyd, Galax City, Greene, Rappahannock, and Shenandoah counties<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">New school divisions adopted this critical flexibility, including Fauquier, Giles, Greensville, Harrisonburg City, Suffolk City, Rockingham, and King and Queen<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To support this growth, No Kid Hungry Virginia awarded nearly $70,000 in grants to help implement and expand rural non-congregate summer meal programs. Funding supported equipment, staffing, distribution, and expanded operations, including evening meal options. These investments helped local sponsors reach more children in communities that have historically had limited access to summer nutrition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Together, these efforts reduced barriers, strengthened family food security, and ensured that more Virginia children had the nutrition they needed to grow, learn, and thrive all summer long.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Listening to Virginia Families<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/virginia\/2025\/09\/02\/new-poll-virginians-going-into-debt-over-rising-food-costs\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">August 2025 No Kid Hungry Virginia Hunger Survey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> highlighted the financial pressures families across the Commonwealth are facing and why strong nutrition programs remain so important.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nearly 45% of Virginians said rising food costs have put them into debt in the past year, and 52% of parents with children in public schools reported the same.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A large majority of respondents (84%) said that the cost of food is rising faster than their incomes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">More than 60% of adults and 65% of families said they have had to choose between buying enough nutritious food and paying for other essentials like utilities, housing, or healthcare.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nearly half of families (49%) said they rely on at least one food program such as SNAP, SUN Bucks, school meals, or local food banks to help meet their needs throughout the year.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These findings remind us that families continue to face real hardship and that strong nutrition programs matter more than ever. Every meal, every week, makes a meaningful difference for children across Virginia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The progress we\u2019ve seen this year, from more students eating breakfast at school to expanded summer meal programs and stronger support for families, shows what is possible when we all work together. It inspires us to remain committed to making sure no child in Virginia goes hungry in the year ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"A Full Plate for Every Kid \u2013 Thanks to You! (:30)\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qdd400pJ7Po?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><b>Ways You Can Help<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>New research by No Kid Hungry (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nokidhungry.org\/BackToSchoolReportPDF\">see full report<\/a>) reveals an overwhelming number of parents are struggling to put food on the table for their kids. This is especially true during the summer months when kids lose access to many essential free\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nokidhungry.org\/what-we-do\/school-meals\">school meals<\/a>.\u00a0You can ensure kids have the nutrition they need to thrive in and out of the classroom and reach their full potential in a variety of ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.nokidhungry.org\/site\/Donation2?df_id=21686&amp;mfc_pref=T&amp;21686.donation=form1&amp;s_src=search&amp;s_subsrc=1I000DD2480SGQXPBS0&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=search&amp;utm_campaign=2023_brand&amp;utm_term=acq&amp;utm_content=paid\">Donate.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0$1 can help provide 10 meals* to kids. Your support will help us fund meal programs all over the country and help us advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need. *Donations help support programs that feed kids; No Kid Hungry does not provide individual meals. Meal equivalencies vary. Learn more at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/nokidhungry.org\/OneDollar\">NoKidHungry.org\/OneDollar<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.nokidhungry.org\/site\/Advocacy?cmd=display&amp;page=UserAction&amp;id=476&amp;_ga=2.152389049.1460923074.1705005849-91074639.1686669995&amp;_gl=1*1bpfz1j*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MjI2MzQxMjcuQ2owS0NRandoN0sxQmhDWkFSSXNBS09yVnFHcU52ZnpMeHJJYjdlWXh2Q1VwX1VXTjhyb0NLeXpSUHQzdnBUYjFXVkZJWkRtU0htM0V2a2FBcnlyRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*MTE0MjM2ODU0Ny4xNzIzNTY3MTc4\">Advocate for kids<\/a><\/strong><strong>.<\/strong>\u00a0Reach out to your elected officials and ask them to do more to end childhood hunger. Tell your lawmaker to advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bestpractices.nokidhungry.org\/programs\/school-breakfast\">Expand your school breakfast program.<\/a><\/strong> Visit our Center for Best Practices for more information on the rules, eligibility, grant information and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As 2025 comes to a close, we are reflecting on a year of real challenges, including rising grocery costs and SNAP delays. At the same time, we saw remarkable progress&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13719","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-blog"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Celebrating 2025: Wins for Virginia Kids - VIRGINIA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/virginia\/2025\/12\/23\/celebrating-2025-wins-for-virginia-kids\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Celebrating 2025: Wins for Virginia Kids - VIRGINIA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As 2025 comes to a close, we are reflecting on a year of real challenges, including rising grocery costs and SNAP delays. 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