Legislation, Lacerations, and Limericks

1. Legislation, Lacerations, and Limericks A State of the State Report on Nutrition in California

2. What we are going to do • Look at the Lacerations proposed in the Gov’s Budget • Review the nutrition policy landscape for 2010 • Lace a few limericks into the presentation to introduce each topic area and give some of you a chance to win some fabulous mediocre prizes.

3. What’s a Limerick A sing-songyverse of five lines, in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines, which are shorter, form a rhymed couplet. Here is your cheat sheet: A A B B A

4. Limerick # 1 The New York Times put a national map in order, With food stamp data from every state recorder. Our neighbor to the North, Did a great job, of course. We are clearly on the wrong side of the _______.

5. Redlining? • Redlining: the practice of denying or increasing the cost of services (banking, insurance, supermarket, etc) to residents of certain areas.

7. Limerick # 2 Are more & more families are struggling today? Trying to get by with less work and pay? We aren’t getting any younger Waiting for new data on hunger Will there be another report from ___________?

8. New Data Opportunities UCLA CHIS CFPA Productions 2010 County Profiles 2010 PAI New County FS #s FS Characteristics Report Don’t forget about Lost $ • Feb/March 2010 release (2007 #s) • Surprise 2009 data was collected • Still need $ for 2011

9. Limerick # 3 Once again the Governor took out his ax, And human services come under attack. If it was up to me, I’d establish a fee, Or expand some existing form of a ______.

10. Nutrition Analysis of Budget Proposal Immediate (Special Session) Cut Proposals: • Eliminate the California Food Assistance Program • Reduce CALWORKS Grants • Reduce SSI/SSP grants for individuals

11. Impact of CFAP Proposal • Gov asking for it to begin June 1 • 37,258CFAP recipients would lose benefits • Average monthly CFAP benefit per person is $112.01 • Take nutrition benefits out of the economy. • Research: when immigrants lose benefits that food insecurity increases, not just for the individuals losing assistance, but also for other household members as well (especially for citizen children) • “Saves” $56.2 million in 2010-2011

12. Impact of CalWorks Grant Cut • 15.7% cut to grants • Reduces maximum grant for a family of three from $694 to $586 a month • A cut of $109 a month • Total CalWORks $269 million

13. Impact of SSI/SSP Cut • Reduces SSI/SSP to federal minimum for individuals • $15 a month reduction ($845 to $830) • 4th Cut in a year for SSI recipients • Reduction not made up by food stamps

14. SSI Cashout What’s New Changing conditions? - Loss of Federal Funds? + Risk losing SSI benefits ? Protect losers? ?Maximize Participation - Costs far exceed benefits • New analysis from Mathmatica • New administration • Series of cuts to SSI • Increases in FS Benefits

15. Limerick # 4 Food Stamps aren’t reaching the people it should. We’ve pushed for all the changes we could. Well, strike up the band, We have a new brand, and other news that is surprisingly ______

16. Good News! • Full asset test removal • Phone interview option • New brand

17. Asset Removal Old Rule Gov’s Proposal Asset test removed for everyone Over 87,000 more households to participate in 2010-2011 Still Collected? Remove from FS only forms? • Only Households with children exempt • Asset info still collected • Asset info on forms • Really old rule: $2,000 for most $3,000 for elderly and disabled

18. New Brand for Food Stamps What can you do? Promote the new brand to: staff current clients, and potential participants. A new brand and image that focuses on health and nutrition and reduces stigma.

19. New Phone Interview Option Waiver of the Face-to-Face Interview What Can You Do? Urge your county to implement policy. Spread the word on relevant websites, informational materials, and with community partners, food banks, etc. Counties have option to provide phone interviews in lieu of face-to-face interviews to ALL households at intake and recertification without hardship requirement. http://www.cfpa.net/PhoneInterviewsCalifornia.html

20. Limerick # 5 Charter schools are in the race-to-the top, Replacing traditional schools that flop. But serving kids meals, Aren’t part of the deals, So will they eat nothing or ______?

21. Charter School Nutrition Charter School Facts Audit Questions Do non-participating schools offer alternative meal programs? What is the cost to low income students? Do alternative meal programs meet the minimum nutritional standards required of traditional public schools? If not, what standards do they follow? What reasons do CSs present for choosing their method of providing or not providing meals? What are the unique factors CSs cite as barriers in providing meals? What unique solutions have CSs employed to provide meals? Do key stakeholders feel that CSs are adequately providing nutrition for students who are eligible for free or reduced price meals? • 809 CSs operating in California and the number continues to increase. • Serve approximately 341,000 students • Exempt from the state requirement to serve 1 meal a day for free or reduced

22. Limerick # 6 Parents want best for son and daughter But not all child care serves what they ought-a Get rid of that Hi-C, and all drinks sugary, And be sure the kids have access to ______.

23. Child Care Nutrition Facts Action: Require Child Care to Serve only 1% fat milk or nonfat milk to children two years or older. Limit juice to no more than one serving of 100% juice per day. Serve no beverages with added sweeteners, natural or artificial. Make clean and safe drinking water readily available and accessible for consumption throughout the day, particularly during meals and snacks. • Almost 20 % of kids aged 2 to 5 in CA are overweight or obese • Millions of California children enter school with unhealthy taste preferences and dietary habits developed in the early childhood environment, including in child care. • Research demonstrates that taste preferences and lifelong healthy habits are formed in the early childhood years.

24. Limerick # 7 School breakfast isn’t a tough sell. But participation isn’t going so well. Wouldn’t it be great, For all schools to raise their rate, By just serving breakfast after the ______?

25. Breakfast Campaign Facts Promote Breakfast Options Breakfast in the Classroom Second Chance Breakfast Data-driven campaign Visit www.breakfastfirst.org • Nearly 2.2 million eligible free or reduced-price students do not participate • 60% of LI students eating lunch miss out school breakfast • If they participated: $310 million in additional federal meal reimbursements

26. Limerick # 8 Since many county applicants face a longer wait, Would a centralized process improve their fate? That is the mission of a special commission: To see if one access point beats ___________

27. Centralization Challenges Stakeholder Group No privatization Centralization of eligibility for FS, CalWORKS and MediCAL Examine other states One computer system built on existing county Web-based app development • Uneven access to benefits by county • Spend the most in FS, get worst participation • Access points not well integrated with enrollment efforts • Redundancy • Limited data sharing

28. Planner for Early 2010 Feb Wild Cards Food Stamp Reporting Finger Imaging Those crazy trigger discussions • Key visits with members on Budget issues, specifically special session cuts • Hearings on Gov’s proposals March, April, May • Letters, hearings • Lobby days • May revise