Newsroom | Food and Nutrition Service

USDA Recognizes Hard-Working School Meals Professionals, Empowers Them to Do Right in School Lunchrooms

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USDA Highlights 2023 Successes in Serving Farmers, Families and Communities

USDA is marking the end of 2023 by highlighting on-the-ground projects and partnerships that are building economic prosperity for farmers, families, and communities nationwide.

12/22/2023

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USDA and FRAC Announce $1.1 Million in Grants to Increase Equitable Access to Healthy Meals for Children During School, After School, Child Care and Summer

USDA and the Food Research & Action Center have teamed up to competitively award five organizations a total of $1.1 million to research barriers to equitable access in the federal child nutrition programs and identify strategies to eliminate them.

12/05/2023

students around a table eating lunch at school

Subscriber Updates

Applications Now Open for States to Streamline Access to Free, Reduced Price School Meals

Did you know there’s a way for children in Medicaid households to be automatically eligible for free and reduced price school meals without their families completing another application? It’s called the Direct Certification with Medicaid Demonstration Project and USDA recently opened applications for more states to participate.

11/29/2023

Subscriber Updates

Grant Applications to Improve School Meals through Local, Regional Partnerships Now Open

Applications are now open for the School Food Systems Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants, which is part of USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative.

11/28/2023

Photo of school nutrition staff serving children lunch

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Statement from Secretary Tom Vilsack on the 2022 Household Food Security in the U.S. Report

Today, USDA released the Household Food Security in the United States in 2022 report, which examined American households’ ability to access sufficient food last year.

10/25/2023

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USDA Lifts Up School Meals Successes in Celebration of National School Lunch Week, Farm to School Month

This week, USDA joined students, parents/caregivers, schools, communities, and partners across the country in recognizing National School Lunch Week, as proclaimed by President Biden. October is also Farm to School Month, which recognizes the benefits of incorporating healthy, locally grown foods into school meals.

10/13/2023

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USDA Makes Available More Than $60 Million in School Meals, Launches New Partnership

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today visited Annandale Terrace Elementary School in Annandale, Virginia, where he unveiled two new grant opportunities plus a training and technical assistance partnership to help schools continue to invest in nutritious school meals.

10/11/2023

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USDA Expands Access to School Breakfast and Lunch for More Students

USDA today announced that it is giving an estimated 3,000 more school districts in high-need areas the option to serve breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost, by expanding the availability of the Community Eligibility Provision, commonly known as CEP.

09/26/2023