13 November 2013: News from CPAG  

PRESS RELEASE Child Poverty Action Group welcomes first reading of Mana's Feed the Kids Bill.     

CPAG spokesperson Associate Professor Mike O'Brien is encouraging all parties to support the Bill through to Select Committee.

"Thousands of our kids are struggling and Food in Schools ticks a lot of boxes to improve outcomes for children. We know that breakfast improves children's school attendance and their behaviour in the classroom. This Bill seeks to put Food in Schools on a more secure footing and to ensure the food children receive complies with basic good nutritional standards.

"At its heart Food in Schools is a small step in making sure all New Zealand children have the opportunity to get the most out of their education, regardless of their parents socioeconomic status. We acknowledge there have been some measures to improve the provision of Food in Schools but more needs to be done," said Mike O'Brien.

"It's not good enough that children are falling behind when we can help them with minimal effort. The government needs to push ideology aside and take this opportunity to do something positive for vulnerable children."

ENDS

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