"This investment from the USDA is great news for schools and for children and families," says Davis. "It will help ease some of the pressures school meal programs are facing because of the pandemic."
Contact: Meredith Jorss, mjorss@strength.org
WASHINGTON, DC - This morning, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an adjustment in school meal reimbursements to help schools nationwide continue to serve nutritious food to kids. This change will put an estimated $750 million more into school meal programs in 2022. The following is a statement from Share Our Strength Senior Vice President Lisa Davis:
“This investment from the USDA is great news for schools and for children and families. It will help ease some of the pressures school meal programs are facing because of the pandemic. And this has a big impact.
“First, it will help bolster the purchasing power of our nation’s schools, allowing them to stretch their budgets during these uncertain times. Second, at a time when families continue to face financial strain and hardship, this will give them fewer meal expenses to worry about each day.
“We applaud the USDA for their continued efforts to make sure school meal programs have the tools and resources they need to feed our children throughout these uncertain times. Healthy school meals are an essential part of ensuring every child receives the nutrition they need to grow up healthy and strong.
“But, as we look to the future, we know additional investments and flexibility will be critical for schools to continue doing so. We look forward to working with Congress and the USDA on ways to increase the reach of school and out of school time meals, like the extension of important meal waivers, so that children can continue receiving the nutrition they need to learn, grow and thrive.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 6 kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.