Casey presses to expand childhood hunger program

Courier Newsroom

11 years ago

In this Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014 file photo, Oumou Balde, 4, left, plays with her teacher Jacqualine Sanchez, right, and some pretend food in a pre-kindergarten class at the Sheltering Arms Learning Center in New York in a program that was produced in conjunction with the Sesame Street children’s television show to educate children about nutrition and health. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — U.S. Senator Bob Casey is pushing to expand a program that provides nutritious meals to vulnerable children.

Casey will explain his proposal Monday at the YMCA in South Philadelphia, which provides healthy meals to children.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program offers food assistance to children in a family child care home if 50 percent of the community is eligible for free or reduced price lunches during the school year. Casey’s bill would change that to 40 percent.

Casey’s bill also allows family child care homes to serve a third meal during the day for children who are there for eight hours or longer.