USDA Promotes Efforts to Ensure Children Have Access to Healthy Food during the Summer Months
Release No.
0118.13
Contact:
USDA Office of Communications (202) 720-4623
WASHINGTON, June 10, 2013 – Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off National Summer Food Service Program Week by reiterating USDA's commitment to ensuring that no child goes hungry when school is out and highlighting progress towards USDA's goal of serving 5 million more meals to eligible kids across the country.0118.13
Contact:
USDA Office of Communications (202) 720-4623
"When school is out during the summer months, many families struggle to feed their children even one nutritious meal a day," said Vilsack. "Government cannot address this challenge alone, which is why, this week, we join our valued partners to raise awareness about the nutrition gap low-income children face when schools close for the summer. Working together, we can make sure children have access to nutritious food year-round."
National Summer Food Service Program week is a national push to promote USDA's Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and other initiatives across the country to feed more low-income children when school is out. These federally-funded programs are designed to alleviate hunger during the summer months and operate through partnerships between USDA, state agencies and local organizations.
Last year, USDA's summer feeding programs provided 161 million meals, feeding approximately 3.5 million children on a typical summer day. In order to ensure that no child goes hungry this summer, USDA and its partners are redoubling their efforts to reach more eligible low-income children. USDA efforts include:
- Issuing a national call to action for schools, communities and faith-based organizations across the country to increase the number of SFSP sponsors and feeding sites to ensure that no child goes hungry when school is out.
- Providing intensive technical assistance to expand the reach of the program in five states with high levels of rural and urban food insecurity and/or reduced program participation, including Arkansas, California, Colorado, Rhode Island and Virginia. Arkansas, Colorado and Virginia are also states targeted by USDA's StrikeForce, an initiative designed to improve the quality of life and boost economic growth in high poverty rural areas.
- Working with individuals, schools and community organizations to help connect families to summer meals. Summer feeding sites are located in many low-income communities across the country. To find sites in a particular area, call 1-866-3-Hungry or 1-877-8-Hambre (Spanish) or visit the National Hunger Clearinghouse resource directory.
USDA continues working with First Lady Michelle Obama on the Let's Move! initiative, which is helping to promote healthy eating and physical activity while supporting the health of American families. Through the combined efforts of USDA and its partners, the United States is beginning to see progress and improvements in the health of our Nation's children.
USDA's Food and Nutrition Service oversees the administration of 15 nutrition assistance programs, including the Summer Food Service Program and other child nutrition programs, that touch the lives of one in four Americans over the course of a year. These programs work in concert to form a national safety net against hunger. Visit www.fns.usda.gov for information about FNS and nutrition assistance programs.
USDA has made a concerted effort to deliver results for the American people, even as USDA implements sequestration – the across-the-board budget reductions mandated under terms of the Budget Control Act. USDA has already undertaken historic efforts since 2009 to save more than $828 million in taxpayer funds through targeted, common-sense budget reductions. These reductions have put USDA in a better position to carry out its mission, while implementing sequester budget reductions in a fair manner that causes as little disruption as possible.
With a record 101 million Americans receiving food aid from the federal government, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants more kids to be on the dole for food during the summer months.
“As part of its ongoing commitment to improving access to healthy food for low income children, USDA has set a goal of serving 5 million more meals to eligible children this summer,” the agency said on Aug. 1.
The agency’s goal amounts to serving 166 million meals through its Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which already gives subsidies to 3.5 million children a day during breaks from school.
“The SFSP enriches the lives of millions of low-income children in communities across the U.S.,” the USDA said. “However, it reaches far fewer children than the school programs.”
Last year, the agency provided 161 million meals, bringing the goal to 166 million government-subsidized meals served.
Kids with EBT cards
One of the ways the government will achieve this aim is by giving children subsidies on EBT cards. The USDA released an evaluation report on testing “new methods” to provide food to children in the summer, specifically through the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (SEBTC) program.
“As part of its efforts to end child hunger, [the Food and Nutrition Service] FNS is studying alternative approaches to providing food assistance to children in the summer months,” the USDA said.
Last summer, 66,772 children received subsidies via an EBT card from the program, which was run in eight states and two Indian tribes. Eligible households received up to $60 per month, per child.
In all, the government spent $13.2 million on the SEBTC program alone in 2012.
The stated goal of the summer EBT program is to “improve children’s food security.”
“Food security is defined as access by all members of the household at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life,” the USDA said.
“Food-insecure households” are described as “those with low or very low food security among adults or children or both.”
“Food secure households are those in which both adults and children are food secure,” the USDA explained.
The agency even has different degrees for food insecurity: low food security and “very low food security.”
“Food insecure households are those in which the adults or children or both have limited access to food resulting in: a) reduced quality or variety of diet (low food security), or b) reduced food intake or disrupted eating patterns (very low food security - VLFS).”
The agency claims there were nearly 8.6 million children living in households with “food-insecure children,” in 2011, and 0.8 million children lived in households with “very low food security.”
‘Redoubling efforts’
As CNSNews.com previously reported, 101 million Americans receive some sort of food assistance from the federal government at a cost of $114 billion.
Millions of kids receive benefits already, including 32 million students enrolled in the National School Lunch program; 3.3 million children provided snacks at day care centers; and 2.3 million children received aid in July 2011 during summer vacation.
The USDA said it fed “approximately 3.5 million children on a typical summer day,” providing 161 million meals in 2012.
To reach the goal of 166 million meals, the agency is “redoubling” their efforts.
“In order to ensure that no child goes hungry this summer, USDA and its partners are redoubling their efforts to reach more eligible low-income children,” the USDA said when first announcing the goal in June.
The USDA launched an intensive campaign this summer to get more children enrolled in its food programs, issuing a national “call to action” and deploying its “Strike Force,” which provides assistance to rural communities.
Congress is also on board with the plan, providing $85 million to the USDA to “improve access to food for low-income children in the summer months when school is not in regular session.”
- See more at: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/usda-sets-goal-serve-166-million-gov-t-subsidized-meals-kids-summer#sthash.rz4TYWFT.dpuf
“As part of its ongoing commitment to improving access to healthy food for low income children, USDA has set a goal of serving 5 million more meals to eligible children this summer,” the agency said on Aug. 1.
The agency’s goal amounts to serving 166 million meals through its Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which already gives subsidies to 3.5 million children a day during breaks from school.
“The SFSP enriches the lives of millions of low-income children in communities across the U.S.,” the USDA said. “However, it reaches far fewer children than the school programs.”
Last year, the agency provided 161 million meals, bringing the goal to 166 million government-subsidized meals served.
Kids with EBT cards
One of the ways the government will achieve this aim is by giving children subsidies on EBT cards. The USDA released an evaluation report on testing “new methods” to provide food to children in the summer, specifically through the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (SEBTC) program.
“As part of its efforts to end child hunger, [the Food and Nutrition Service] FNS is studying alternative approaches to providing food assistance to children in the summer months,” the USDA said.
Last summer, 66,772 children received subsidies via an EBT card from the program, which was run in eight states and two Indian tribes. Eligible households received up to $60 per month, per child.
In all, the government spent $13.2 million on the SEBTC program alone in 2012.
The stated goal of the summer EBT program is to “improve children’s food security.”
“Food security is defined as access by all members of the household at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life,” the USDA said.
“Food-insecure households” are described as “those with low or very low food security among adults or children or both.”
“Food secure households are those in which both adults and children are food secure,” the USDA explained.
The agency even has different degrees for food insecurity: low food security and “very low food security.”
“Food insecure households are those in which the adults or children or both have limited access to food resulting in: a) reduced quality or variety of diet (low food security), or b) reduced food intake or disrupted eating patterns (very low food security - VLFS).”
The agency claims there were nearly 8.6 million children living in households with “food-insecure children,” in 2011, and 0.8 million children lived in households with “very low food security.”
‘Redoubling efforts’
As CNSNews.com previously reported, 101 million Americans receive some sort of food assistance from the federal government at a cost of $114 billion.
Millions of kids receive benefits already, including 32 million students enrolled in the National School Lunch program; 3.3 million children provided snacks at day care centers; and 2.3 million children received aid in July 2011 during summer vacation.
The USDA said it fed “approximately 3.5 million children on a typical summer day,” providing 161 million meals in 2012.
To reach the goal of 166 million meals, the agency is “redoubling” their efforts.
“In order to ensure that no child goes hungry this summer, USDA and its partners are redoubling their efforts to reach more eligible low-income children,” the USDA said when first announcing the goal in June.
The USDA launched an intensive campaign this summer to get more children enrolled in its food programs, issuing a national “call to action” and deploying its “Strike Force,” which provides assistance to rural communities.
Congress is also on board with the plan, providing $85 million to the USDA to “improve access to food for low-income children in the summer months when school is not in regular session.”
- See more at: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/usda-sets-goal-serve-166-million-gov-t-subsidized-meals-kids-summer#sthash.rz4TYWFT.dpuf
USDA Sets Goal to Serve 166 Million Gov’t Subsidized Meals to Kids This Summer
August 7, 2013 - 10:45 AM
U.S. Department of Agriculture SNAP program (food stamp) card. (AP photo)
“As part of its ongoing commitment to improving access to healthy food for low income children, USDA has set a goal of serving 5 million more meals to eligible children this summer,” the agency said on Aug. 1.
The agency’s goal amounts to serving 166 million meals through its Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which already gives subsidies to 3.5 million children a day during breaks from school.
“The SFSP enriches the lives of millions of low-income children in communities across the U.S.,” the USDA said. “However, it reaches far fewer children than the school programs.”
Last year, the agency provided 161 million meals, bringing the goal to 166 million government-subsidized meals served.
Kids with EBT cards
One of the ways the government will achieve this aim is by giving children subsidies on EBT cards. The USDA released an evaluation report on testing “new methods” to provide food to children in the summer, specifically through the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (SEBTC) program.
“As part of its efforts to end child hunger, [the Food and Nutrition Service] FNS is studying alternative approaches to providing food assistance to children in the summer months,” the USDA said.
Last summer, 66,772 children received subsidies via an EBT card from the program, which was run in eight states and two Indian tribes. Eligible households received up to $60 per month, per child.
In all, the government spent $13.2 million on the SEBTC program alone in 2012.
The stated goal of the summer EBT program is to “improve children’s food security.”
“Food security is defined as access by all members of the household at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life,” the USDA said.
“Food-insecure households” are described as “those with low or very low food security among adults or children or both.”
“Food secure households are those in which both adults and children are food secure,” the USDA explained.
The agency even has different degrees for food insecurity: low food security and “very low food security.”
“Food insecure households are those in which the adults or children or both have limited access to food resulting in: a) reduced quality or variety of diet (low food security), or b) reduced food intake or disrupted eating patterns (very low food security - VLFS).”
The agency claims there were nearly 8.6 million children living in households with “food-insecure children,” in 2011, and 0.8 million children lived in households with “very low food security.”
‘Redoubling efforts’
As CNSNews.com previously reported, 101 million Americans receive some sort of food assistance from the federal government at a cost of $114 billion.
Millions of kids receive benefits already, including 32 million students enrolled in the National School Lunch program; 3.3 million children provided snacks at day care centers; and 2.3 million children received aid in July 2011 during summer vacation.
The USDA said it fed “approximately 3.5 million children on a typical summer day,” providing 161 million meals in 2012.
To reach the goal of 166 million meals, the agency is “redoubling” their efforts.
“In order to ensure that no child goes hungry this summer, USDA and its partners are redoubling their efforts to reach more eligible low-income children,” the USDA said when first announcing the goal in June.
The USDA launched an intensive campaign this summer to get more children enrolled in its food programs, issuing a national “call to action” and deploying its “Strike Force,” which provides assistance to rural communities.
Congress is also on board with the plan, providing $85 million to the USDA to “improve access to food for low-income children in the summer months when school is not in regular session.”
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