Nemours Endorses the Healthy, Hunger Free Act of 2010

S.3307 potential to greatly improve the health of our nation's children

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nemours endorses the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and urges Congress to pass this Child Nutrition Reauthorization legislation without delay. This bill marks a significant advancement in the field of childhood obesity by providing children ample opportunities to develop healthy nutrition, physical activity and screen time habits that will last a lifetime.

As a leader in the fight against childhood obesity, Nemours, a nationally recognized child health system, recognizes the value of working in all the places where kids live, learn and play including child care, school, primary care and in the community, to help children grow up healthy.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act addresses key issues that have in the past prevented children from establishing healthy habits. The following provisions included in the bill particularly resonate with Nemours, since we have successfully implemented a place-based, multi-sector approach that has helped to stem the increase in childhood obesity in Delaware:  

• Promoting Nutrition and Wellness in Child Care Settings through establishment of nutrition standards for child care providers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and providing technical assistance and training to help providers implement the standards.
• Strengthening Local School Wellness Policies by requiring that all local educational agencies participating in school meal programs provide opportunities for public input and transparency in the formulation of policies and have implementation plans, including compliance measures.
• Adopting National Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools by providing the Secretary of Agriculture with the authority to establish national nutrition standards for all foods sold on the school campus throughout the school day.

Nemours commends Congress' dedication to supporting healthy child development and urges the passage of S.3307, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. This bill has the potential to greatly improve the health of our nation's children.

About Nemours

Nemours, one of the nation's leading pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children's health by offering a spectrum of clinical treatment, research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont's bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.

Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children's specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Lancaster and Newtown Square) and New Jersey (Egg Harbor Township and Voorhees). Nemours will establish a new full-service children's hospital in Orlando in 2012. KidsHealth.org, the world's most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.  

Nemours employs over 4,100 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for almost a quarter of a million children in 2009. The organization's goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children's advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. For more information about Nemours, please visit www.nemours.org.

SOURCE Nemours