skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

In Florida, Hunger Doesn't Take Summer Break

play audio
Play

Monday, July 10, 2017   

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Across Florida, more schools, community centers and churches are serving summer meals for lower-income children, but the latest research says not enough families take advantage of these programs.

The Food Research and Action Center says that's also the case nationwide.

Crystal FitzSimons, FRAC’s director of School and Out-of-School Time Programs, says Florida saw an increase in participation last year, with about 220,000 children in summer meal programs.

But she says there's room for improvement, especially in rural areas where it might be hard to walk or bike to the meal sites.

FitzSimons says some states are doing better than others at reaching children who live outside the big cities.

"The practices that they use are extensive outreach to schools and nonprofits – and local government agencies, you know, making sure that there are sites in communities, partnering with groups, and doing a lot of outreach to families to let them know that the program's available," she states.

Since states receive federal food assistance money based on how many people they serve, the FRAC report says Florida missed out on almost $23 million last year by not reaching more children with summer meals.

Nationwide, summer nutrition programs served 3 million children last year. That's nearly a 5 percent drop from the previous summer.

FitzSimons says the summer nutrition programs work best when they're paired with education.

"The activities and the enrichment keep kids safe and learning, and out of trouble while their parents are working,” she explains. “And then, the food helps to ensure that they're healthy and not hungry, and able to fully benefit from the program."

Florida is making progress in summer meal outreach. Last year, it ranked 18th in the nation for the percentage of low-income children who participate in these programs. That's up from 29th the previous year.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021