Food Policies - DC Hunger Solutions

The Healthy Students Amendment Act (HSAA) unanimously passed in December 2018. The legislation strengthens and expands on the success of the Healthy Schools Act.
The WIC Expansion Act removes onerous restrictions on square footage, number of cashiers, and organic products for WIC vendors beyond what is required by federal law. The Act also requires the D.C. Department of Health to convene a WIC Outreach Advisory Board to provide guidance and develop strategies for increasing WIC participation.
The Healthy Parks Amendment Act of 2018, which passed in November 2018, requires the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to offer all youth attending DPR-sponsored afterschool enrichment programs a supper through the Afterschool Meals Programs. The Act also requires DPR to expand participation in their D.C. Free Summer Meals program through the federal Summer Food Service Program.
Local Wellness Policies set nutrition guidelines for foods available on campus during the school day, as well as goals for school meal program participation, nutrition education, and physical activity. Experts consider D.C. Public School’s Local Wellness Policy to be one of the strongest in the country.
The Healthy Schools Act passed unanimously by the D.C. Council in 2010, is designed to improve the health, wellness, and nutrition of District children by helping schools, students and families eat healthy, stay active, learn healthy habits, care for the environment, and create healthy school communities. The Act also provides opportunities to improve District children’s health through a variety of measures.
The Healthy Tots Act requires that eligible child development centers and child care homes in the District participate in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which pays for nutritious meals and snacks for children enrolled at eligible child care institutions.
The FEED (Food, Environment, and Economic Development) DC Act, passed in 2010, aims to close the grocery gap and give more District residents access to eat healthy foods.