To provide automatic eligibility for free school meals to children being raised by grandparents or other relatives who are not their parents, the full Assembly passed a resolution Thursday urging the U.S. President and Congress to enact the ‘CARE for Kids Act of 2019.’
Having been resolved by the Assembly by a vote of 72-0-5, copies of the resolution (AR-169) will be sent to the United States President, Majority and Minority Leaders in Congress, and each member of the New Jersey Congressional delegation.
Upon its passage, sponsors Assemblywomen Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), Mila Jasey (D-Essex, Morris) and Annette Quijano (D-Union) issued the following joint statement:
“There are countless children in New Jersey and across the country who rely on the healthy, nutritious breakfast and lunch they get served in school through federal meals programs. Passage of the CARE for Kids Act would expand automatic eligibility for free meals to students in the care of their grandparents or other family members. In doing so, it would provide food security for children who have recently left foster care and for those who have found a home with relatives, ensuring fewer gaps in access to nutrition.”