May 30, 2024
Our Connecting Food & Health Project Team is gathering sign-ons for a letter to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing. It’s intended to show our support as advocates for a Regional Accountable Entity bid process that prioritizes: equity and inclusion, food and nutrition supports, and accountability and performance improvement in our state’s Medicaid program called Health First Colorado.
May 15, 2024
House Bill 2024-1301, with a focus on time to eat and play in Colorado public schools, did not advance during the 2024 state legislative session. While the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger and Nourish Colorado are disappointed in the outcome, both organizations will continue to advocate for time-to-eat policies in Colorado. Together, we plan to create our own opportunities to evaluate best practices and policies, which will kick off this summer with ample options for network input.
April 29, 2024
The Blueprint and partners thank the Biden-Harris Administration for their recent announcement of 141 new bold commitments as part of the Call to Action for the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. As part of their National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, we hope the Administration will consider the unique needs of rural, frontier, and micro-communities, particularly their challenges to accessing federal funds.
April 16, 2024
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced its final rule revising the food package for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). It emphasizes more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as presents a wider choice of foods from different cultures, with implementation happening over the next two years.
April 5, 2024
House Bill 2024-1301, which considers time to eat and play in Colorado public schools, advanced from the House Education Committee on Thursday, April 4, on a 10-1 vote. Thank you to the students, parents, and other advocates who testified in favor of this legislation!
April 4, 2024
Denver City Council recently passed an ordinance requiring Denver restaurants to offer water or milk as the default drink options on kids’ menus. the Blueprint’s State Policy Committee was one of the organizations that endorsed the Healthy Drinks in Kids’ Meals strategy, expressing support for the recommendation to ensure the automatic beverage on children’s menus is a healthy one.
April 2, 2024
During the 2024 session, state legislators have introduced more bills recently. The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger’s State Policy Committee is actively involved in and tracking several of them. This includes the Healthy Food Incentives Fund, the Community Food Assistance Provider Grant Program, and legislation to address some of the funding challenges with Healthy School Meals for All.
March 12, 2023
Last Friday, Congress passed a 2024 federal budget bill with full funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This means eligible families won’t have to worry about waitlists or being turned away.
While a crisis was averted this year, it’s concerning that a historically bipartisan success was even up for debate. That’s why we must turn our attention to the future – and how policymakers can ensure WIC continues to create bright futures for infants, young children, and new and expecting parents.
March 7, 2024
During National Nutrition Month®, the Blueprint team restates our commitment to becoming a regenerative organization, reversing historical inequities in our food systems. In this blog post, our policy director (who’s also a registered dietitian) reflects on instances where our food justice work meets nutrition and the importance of balancing food access against diet quality and food choice.
February 26, 2024
The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger envisions a Colorado where everyone who lives here can access the food they choose, where they want it, and when they need it. Healthy School Meals For All and its associated grant programs take our state closer to that vision.
The successful program has exceeded expectations in student participation – so much so that there’s a significant funding shortfall to cover all associated costs. We’re working towards sustainable funding that Colorado families, schools, and producers can rely upon every school year.
