Hawai‘i Department of Human Services – One of Six States to Receive Grant to Combat Childhood Hunger
Posted on Apr 16, 2021 in Featured, Main, NEWSMEDIA RELEASE April 15, 2021
No Kid Hungry invests $2 million in innovative SNAP efforts in six states
“This exciting new initiative will lead to evidence-based policy change, helping more kids and families who are facing hardship get the food they need.” says Jillien Meier, Director, No Kid Hungry campaign.
Washington, DC: Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign will invest nearly $2 million in six states to advance SNAP agency innovation and interagency coordination to combat childhood hunger. Each project will be carried out over an 18-month grant period with support from the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA).
Federal nutrition programs are critical anti-poverty measures, and the state and local agencies that administer them play an essential role ensuring families can access these supports, getting their children the nutrition they need both at home and where they learn so they can grow up to be healthy and strong.
The selected agencies will participate in cohort learning, sharing best practices and opportunities for policy and practice changes that reduce childhood hunger. No Kid Hungry and APHSA will work with a national advisory committee to guide planning and provide technical assistance throughout the project. The advisory committee will provide expertise to grantees and is composed of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), Code for America, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and their Community Partnership Group, and the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
“We know that SNAP is one of the most effective tools our nation has to feed kids, but it works hand in hand with school meals, WIC and other childhood nutrition programs,” said Jillien Meier, Director of the No Kid Hungry campaign. “This exciting new initiative will allow us to gather best practices that lead to evidence-based policy change that can reduce childhood hunger.”
“This strategic partnership with the No Kid Hungry campaign reflects exactly the kind of boundary spanning systems alignment work that health and human services agencies seek to advance,” said Matt Lyons, Director of Policy and Research at APHSA. “The investments made through these grants will help agencies build modern platforms that remove systemic barriers for families to access the nutrition supports they need to thrive.”
Throughout the 18-month grant period, grantees will leverage data and technology improvements to address systemic barriers and promote equitable access to services. Grantees plan to reduce cross departmental silos, facilitate community organization engagement, and enhance client outreach and experience.
The following grantees have been selected:
- Hawai‘i Department of Human Services
- Kansas Department for Children and Families & Kansas Department of Health and Environment
- Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, North Carolina
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
- New Jersey Department of Human Services
- New Mexico Human Services Department & New Mexico Department of Health, WIC Program
Learn more about the funded projects here.
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Contact: Adrienne Carter at [email protected]
Contact: Jessica Garon at [email protected]
No child should go hungry in America. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 6 kids could face hunger in 2021. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.
About the American Public Human Services Association
The American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) is a bipartisan national membership association representing state and local health and human services agencies and the subject matter experts that help execute their mission to improve outcomes for people nationwide. Building on longstanding relationships with health and human services leaders, APHSA focuses on generating pragmatic solutions that advance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities.