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Nutrition Services
The California Department of Education (CDE) provides leadership and support of
nutrition services to enhance the health, well-being, development, and educational
potential of California’s children, adults, and families.
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction has made nutrition, health, and physical
education a top priority during his tenure. His commitment to these issues is outlined in
Healthy Children Ready to Learn, which is available on the Healthy Children Ready to
Learn Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/51114. In addition, the CDE has actively
pursued creative approaches to addressing childhood obesity and other health issues
and has produced reports by the Superintendent’s Task Force on Obesity, Type II
Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease and the Advisory Committee on Nutrition
Implementation Strategies.
Meal Programs
In California, more than 4.5 million nutritious meals are served on average each day at
approximately 45,000 locations funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
through the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, Summer Food Service, and Child
and Adult Care Food Programs. The CDE disburses approximately $1.6 billion in
federal and state funds to support schools, child care centers, family day care homes,
adult care centers, park and recreation centers, and other eligible agencies in providing
nutritious meals and snacks. In addition, the CDE distributed $90 million in
USDA-donated food to eligible public and private nonprofit agencies throughout the
state for use in preparing meals.
The CDE also administers the:
• Special Milk Program, which assists schools, summer camps, and eligible
agencies in providing over 4.3 million one-half pint servings of milk to children
annually.
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which monthly provides 53,000
low-income, breast-feeding mothers, pregnant women, children under age five,
and the impaired elderly with USDA-donated foods designed to meet their
nutritional needs.
The CDE provides nutrition and food service education and training to child nutrition
program operators and educators, collaborates with numerous education, health, and
nutrition-allied organizations, and is affiliated with advocacy and professional
organizations.
A new federal law required districts participating in the National School Lunch or
Breakfast Program to adopt a local school wellness policy by the beginning of the
2006-07 school year, and the CDE is providing leadership and resources to support
implementation and evaluation of this new law. At a minimum, the policy must include:
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