Federal Food/Nutrition Programs « Food Research & Action Center

Federal Food/Nutrition Programs

School Breakfast Participation Continues Much-Needed Increase

January 31, 2012 – Participation in the national School Breakfast Program continued its steady increase, with 9.8 million low-income children eating breakfast on an average day during the 2010-2011 school year, according to the Food Research and Action Center’s annual School Breakfast Scorecard. Still, the number of low-income children eating breakfast is well behind the number of children eating lunch, with less than half (48.2 percent) of low-income children receiving school lunch also receiving breakfast. More…

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act Implementation

Additional Resources

Reauthorization Resources

Federal Nutrition Program Resources

President Obama signed into law the new Child Nutrition Reauthorization law on December 14th. Titled The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (S. 3307) (pdf), it broadens the Afterschool Meal Program to cover all 50 states (currently it covers just 13), supports the expansion of direct certification for school meals, improves area eligibility rules so more family child care homes can use the CACFP program, changes summer food rules to make it easier for nonprofits to operate, makes important reforms in the nutritional quality of food served in schools and child care, and makes “competitive” foods sold or offered in schools more nutritious.

This page contains the most up-to-date information and links to information on implementing The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act.

Implementation Webinar Series

FRAC’s Webinar series, Child Nutrition Reauthorization: Putting the Act Into Action, examines the provisions of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act and provides steps to make the provisions of the Act a success.
Next webinar: New Healthier School Meal Standards: What You Need to Know (February 2, 2012)

USDA Proposed Rules

Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs (pdf)

Implementation Policy Memos

Improving Milk and Water Requirements in Schools

On April 13, 2011, USDA released two memos providing guidance and instructions to states on:

Click here for information, a summary of changes, and resources regarding these two requirements.

“Full Use of Federal Funds” Provision: Ending State Agency Work Furloughs and Layoffs

Hiring freezes, layoffs and work furloughs have left many state child nutrition and WIC agencies understaffed. To help remedy this the new law, Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, requires that federal funds for child nutrition and WIC programs be excluded from State budget restrictions or limitations including hiring freezes, layoffs, work furloughs and travel restrictions. All states should have signed the new addendum to their federal/state agreement agreeing to abide by the new law. This provides an important new opportunity for advocates and program operators to support your state agency.
Click here for resources and actions you can take.

Reauthorization Resources

USDA Implementation Plan: Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (pdf)
Side-by-Side Highlights of 2010 Child Nutrition Reauthorization (pdf)
FRAC’s Summary of the Act
FRAC’s Statement on the Act
Eight Facts You Need to Know NOW (pdf)
USDA Implementation Resources – includes policy memos for school programs, CACFP and summer food; proposed nutrition standard regulation (pdf).