Its always great to see
non-traditional partners testify at budget hearings on behalf of youth
programming. Below is the testimony of Alex Ashbrook, from DC Hunger Solutions
on why we need a stable CYITC.
Submitted Written Testimony
Alexandra Ashbrook, Director
D.C. Hunger Solutions
Good morning. I am Alexandra
Ashbrook and I direct D.C. Hunger Solutions, an initiative of the Food Research
and Action Center District of Columbia .
I welcome this opportunity to submit testimony on the importance of
out-of-school time programs as a key tool in the fight against childhood
hunger. Underscoring my comments is a
dismal statistic: more than 37 percent of District households with children –
the highest rate in the nation – reported experiencing food hardship (defined
as not having enough money in the past 12 months to buy food for themselves or
their family) according to the Food Research and Action
Center ’s analysis of Gallup polling data in 2010.
Many of my colleagues will be
testifying on the important role of the Children and Youth Investment Trust
Corporation (CYITC) in funding out-of-school time programs— often by leveraging
public and private funds—and supporting
the quality of these programs through training, best practices, and evaluation
tools. And while I concur that the
District needs an entity like the CYITC to support quality out-of-school time
programming, my comments will focus on how such an entity is also helping to reduce childhood hunger
and improve nutrition for thousands of District children and teens. Without CYITC
guiding the network of out-of-school time programs and keeping them financially
afloat, D.C. could see hundreds of children lose access to nutritious meals,
especially those most at risk of going hungry.
Why?
- CYITC funding helps support
afterschool and summer programs where kids are not only safe, engaged, and
learning, but are also fed nutritious meals through federal nutrition
programs. Afterschool and summer programs that CYITC supports are
eligible for federal nutrition funding to serve meals to the children and
teens in their care through the Summer Food Service Program (AKA the D.C.
Free Summer Meals Program) and the Afterschool Meal Program. By connecting thousands of children and
teens to federally-funded meals, these nutrition programs not only reduce
food insecurity and hunger, but improve nutrition, health, early childhood
development, school achievement, and overall well-being. If CYITC funding were not available,
many of these out-of-school time programs could fold, decrease the number
of children served, or cut back on the number of days or hours programs
were available. As a result,
children would suffer a double loss, losing access to both enrichment
programming and free meals.
- CYITC requires that all grantees
receiving funding for summer programs participate in the D.C. Free Summer
Meals Program, thereby wisely helping summer programs connect to federal
funding. When CYITC funds
summer programs, programs agree to participate in D.C. Free Summer Meals.
Because of this requirement, children and teens, particularly those who
rely on free school meals, can get free breakfast and lunch when school
lets out for the summer at summer programs. The programs benefit
financially because CYITC monies do not have to be spent on food since food
is free via the D.C. Free Summer Meals Program, which is funded by federal
entitlement monies. Finally,
programs benefit because food helps draw children and teens into programs
that keep them safe and engaged. This is a winning requirement made
possible because CYITC funds and monitors a large number of sites.
·
CYITC
could further help promote nutrition at community-based afterschool programs by
serving as an Afterschool Meal Program sponsor.
Currently, CYITC does not require sites to participate in the Afterschool
Meal Program. While all CYITC funded
programs located in D.C. Public Schools have access to a free supper through
the Afterschool Meal Program, many community-based afterschool programs have
not been able to participate in the relatively new federal Afterschool Meal
Program because of administrative issues.
(The Afterschool Meal Program started in December 2009 in Washington , DC
One way to overcome these barriers is for a larger
organization—such as CYITC —to sponsor Afterschool Meals for multiple
afterschool programs in the community. The Family League of Baltimore City
takes on this role for more than one hundred afterschool programs in Maryland , making healthy
nutritious after school meals a reality for 7,000 children and teens. This model brings in federal funds to pay for
the staff time that the Family League spends on administering the program, as
well as millions of dollars in funding to feed hungry children a healthy
supper. Like the CYITC, the Family League of Baltimore City is a
quasi-governmental nonprofit organization that works with a range of partners
to develop and implement initiatives that improve the well-being of Baltimore’s
children, youth and families.
By sharing best practices and helping surmount administrative hurdles, a body such as CYITC allows for a range of out-of-school time programs to more readily participate in key federal nutrition programs. In conclusion, all children in the nation’s capital deserve and need the opportunity to benefit from afterschool and summer programs that keep them challenged, learning, and safe.
Respectfully submitted,
Alexandra Ashbrook, Director
D.C. Hunger Solutions
p: (202) 986-2200 ext 3019
aashbrook@dchunger.org
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