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Secretary Tom Vilsack announced major steps to promote the health of America’s children through school meals. Nutrition standards for school meals will be gradually updated to include less sugar and flexibility with menu planning between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027. The Department arrived at these changes after listening closely to public feedback and considering the latest science-based recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

USDA is partnering with Washington, D.C., to promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers and to increase access to locally sourced, fresh, healthy and nutritious food in underserved communities and in schools. The Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program will improve food and agricultural supply-chain resiliency and increase local food consumption around the country.

USDA announced an increase in funding to help schools continue to serve kids healthy meals this coming school year and lower costs for schools and childcare providers. 

I am pleased to see that Congress has taken action to provide much needed support to help USDA’s child nutrition programs serve nutritious meals to America’s children. - Secretary Vilsack

USDA’s child nutrition programs provide nutritious meals to America’s children. The school and other nutrition professionals who make these meals possible need additional resources and continued flexibilities as they grapple with the ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic. The deal would ease uncertainty and bring a measure of relief to our schools, summer sites and child care feeding programs - Secretary Vilsack.

FNS announced today that it will interpret the prohibition on discrimination based on sex found in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, SNAP to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

FNS today reflected on its efforts over the past year to ensure households across the country have access to a nutritious diet. Throughout the first year of the Biden-Harris Administration, FNS bolstered its nutrition assistance programs through a wide range of administrative actions and with the unprecedented $12 billion investment in food assistance provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.

USDA today announced assistance to help schools respond to supply chain disruptions, as part of a comprehensive set of investments to address challenges in American agriculture today. This is the latest example of the ongoing support USDA is providing schools and states as they to adapt to the ever-changing pandemic situation while working to ensure children receive nutritious school meals.

USDA today unveiled a joint resource guide to help people in rural and Tribal communities increase access to child care services.

As students, parents and caretakers adjust to a physical return to classrooms this fall, the USDA reminds families to follow food safety practices to prevent foodborne illness when it comes to preparing frozen foods.

Families in Louisiana affected by Hurricane Ida will soon be able to receive food packages containing USDA Foods – nutritious, high-quality foods 100% grown and produced on farms. USDA approved the short-term measure to address an immediate need for food until a longer-term solution is ready.

In January 2021, President Biden released the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness. The plan is driven by science, data, and public health to improve the effectiveness of our nation’s fight against COVID-19 and to restore trust, accountability and a sense of common purpose in our response to the pandemic.

USDA today announced a new effort funded by the American Rescue Plan to provide adequate nutrition to more than 30 million children over the summer by expanding Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits.

Today, the USDA is increasing food assistance to low-income seniors – a population that has been especially hard-hit by the pandemic – by providing nearly $37 million in additional support to CSFP.

USDA today issued a broad range of flexibilities to allow school meal programs and childcare institutions across the country to return to serving healthy meals in fall 2021 as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to reopen schools safely.