IDFA and other food organizations joined a coalition of more than 1,000 national, state and local groups this week in calling for continued support to combat childhood hunger and improve nutrition offered through federal programs. In a letter to President Barack Obama, the group urged him to continue his commitment to child nutrition programs and efforts to reduce child hunger and obesity by including significant new investments to the programs in his FY2016 budget.

The letter was circulated by members of the Child Nutrition Forum, a diverse group of national organizations that is dedicated to increasing access to nutritious meals and snacks. The group also is focused on protecting the quality of those meals and snacks in pre-school, school-based and out-of-school programs in the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization.

Groups from across the country joined the letter, which garnered signers from every state as well as from more than 100 national organizations.

• Read the letter and list of signers here.

For more information, contact Ruth Saunders, vice president of policy and legislative affairs for IDFA, at rsaunders@idfa.org.