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Today, Agriculture Undersecretary Kevin Concannon announced strengthened nutrition standards for food and beverages served to young children and others in day care settings at the annual conference of the National Child and Adult Care Food Program Sponsors Association. Young children and adults in day care will now receive meals with more whole grains, a greater variety of vegetables and fruits, and less added sugars and solid fats. The science-based standards introduced in this final rule will elevate the nutritional quality of meals and snacks provided under the CACFP to better align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and to be consistent with the meals children receive as part of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced $26.9 million in grant funds to be distributed among eight grantees to continue administering pilots of the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer programs, providing summertime nutrition assistance to children who receive free and reduced price meals during the school year. In addition to funding existing pilots for summer 2016, these grants will extend benefits to new rural areas, Tribal Nations, and areas of extreme need including Flint, Michigan. 

Secretary Tom Vilsack today released the following statement in response to a new report done jointly by the Food Research & Action Center and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities regarding positive outcomes of the Community Eligibility Provision, part of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which allows eligible high-poverty schools to offer school meals to all students at no charge, so they can focus on serving children the nutritious meals they need to learn, instead of doing paperwork.

Today, the USDA named 10 winners of its E.A.T. (Electronic Application Transformation) School Lunch U.X. Challenge, a public “hackathon” challenging individuals and organizations to revolutionize the way households apply for free and reduced price school meals. 

USDA has announced new steps to further strengthen the success of SNAP Employment and Training activities to help more SNAP participants develop marketable skills and find jobs.

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon announced today the availability of $5 million in competitive grants to improve efficiency and customer service of agencies that administer SNAP. These grants will fund initiatives that use technology to achieve procedural changes, such as electronic application filing, document imaging, telephone interviews, and web-based access to case status information.

Schools across the United States purchased $789 million in local foods from farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food processors and manufacturers in school year 2013 – 2014, according to results from the USDA Farm to School Census released today. That represents a 105 percent increase over the 2011-2012 school year when the first census was conducted, signifying the deepening commitment of schools nationwide to bring local food into the cafeteria and strengthen their local economies.

Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the USDA Rural Child Poverty Nutrition Center at the University of Kentucky awarded $1.3 million in grants to help reduce child food insecurity in 17 rural communities. The funding, ranging from $50,000 to $100,000, will help these rural communities implement creative strategies to improve access to federal nutrition assistance for families and children. Secretary Vilsack made the announcement during a panel discussion on the current state of food and nutrition in America hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center.

As schools around the county take part in School Breakfast Week celebrations this week, the USDA commemorates the 50th anniversary of its School Breakfast Program by shining a light on the positive impacts of school breakfast.

Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 10 states have been selected to take part in SNAP to Skills, a first-of-its-kind, peer-to-peer effort to help state agencies design improved employment and training programs for adults participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in order to help them find employment and ultimately move off the SNAP program.

Secretary Vilsack announced a major step to make it easier for WIC participants to access nutritious foods. The WIC Electronic Benefit Transfer Final Rule will improve the shopping experience for WIC participants by requiring states to transition from paper benefits to EBT systems by Oct. 1, 2020.

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced a proposed rule designed to provide SNAP participants increased access to healthy foods by requiring stores that accept SNAP to stock a wider array of food choices.

As part of USDA's ongoing efforts to support residents in Flint, Mich., Dr. Kathryn Wilson, FNCS Deputy Under Secretary today announced that USDA will temporarily allow Michigan to use WIC funds to conduct lead testing for WIC participants. An estimated 3,800 WIC participants could potentially be tested as a result of this action.

USDA is committed to assisting residents affected by the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. While the water emergency in Flint remains primarily a public health crisis addressed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, USDA is committed to using all resources available to assist in the response and to provide relief to those affected by the water contamination. To date, USDA has provided the following assistance:

Amid pre-Super Bowl 50 celebrations today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, and Paul Rovey, dairy farmer and leader of the National Dairy Council (NDC), announced the availability of $35 million in grants to help schools upgrade their kitchen equipment and infrastructure in order to offer students better access to nutritious foods.

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced a second phase of expansion of the Team Up for School Nutrition Success initiative, ensuring continued support for schools working to serve school children nutritious meals nationwide. Building on the momentum of the seven regional trainings held in 2015, FNS joined with the Institute of Child Nutrition at the University of Mississippi to offer all state agencies the opportunity to host local events to provide tailored technical assistance, support, and best practices for schools in administering successful meals programs. 

USDA is seeking governmental or non-profit food purchasing and delivery firms to become SNAP authorized retailers for a one-year, nationwide pilot designed to improve grocery access for homebound elderly and disabled participants.

Today, the White House will host a conversation about child hunger in America, with experts and direct service providers discussing how hunger continues to harm children across the country. Participants will discuss the role of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other core nutrition programs in ensuring American children have the fuel they need to thrive. 

Today, on behalf of the White House Rural Council, six federal agencies joined together to announce the selection of 27 communities in 22 states that will participate in Local Foods, Local Places, a federal initiative that helps communities increase economic opportunities for local farmers and related businesses, create vibrant places and promote childhood wellness by improving access to healthy local food.

In anticipation of legislation this week from the Senate to reauthorize child nutrition programs, Secretary Tom Vilsack provided a statement.