Advocacy

What we do

SPOON is collecting and using data to call attention to the nutrition and feeding needs of vulnerable children. We and our partners use that data to advocate for inclusive policies, programs, and investments.  Our work is informing changes in policies and practices that will reach millions of children.

Read on for successes from the last year:

• SPOON provided our partner, UNICEF-Belarus, with recommendations for strengthening national policies that govern feeding and nutrition services in early child intervention centers and baby homes to help promote inclusive services for children with disabilities;
• With our partner, Catholic Medical Mission Board- Zambia, assessed the nutrition and feeding needs of a national sample of children with disabilities and children without family care. We also partnered with CSO-SUN Zambia, a nutrition advocacy alliance, to share calls to action for inclusive nutrition directly with government officials and media.
• At the United Nations Day of General Discussion on children’s rights and alternative care, SPOON advocated for a greater focus on nutrition and disability inclusion in all efforts to fulfill children’s rights. We also joined four other child-focused organizations to call for a supportive ecosystem for children with disabilities and their families.

What you can do

Everyone has a role to play to nourish all children. Here are some ways you or your organization can get involved:

• Ensure children without family care and children with disabilities are specifically mentioned in nutrition and early child development policies.
• Include children without family care and children with disabilities in nutrition programs.
• Link nutrition with disability-related and alternative care programs.
• Generate, share, and use relevant data.