News

WASHINGTON, October 3, 2017 — More than 8 million low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children up to age 5 received benefits in 2014 through WIC — including food, nutrition education, and breastfeeding support. According to a report from the USDA, the program served 80 percent of eligible infants, but just 46 percent of eligible children ages one to five. The report reveals a trend of declining WIC participation.

WASHINGTON, September 28, 2017 — Starting October 1, 2017, all child and adult care centers and child care homes receiving federal funds from CACFP must implement new nutrition standards that include a greater variety of vegetables and fruit, more whole grains, and less added sugar and saturated fat. The new standards also encourage breastfeeding, and better align with WIC and other child nutrition programs, such as school breakfast and lunch.

WASHINGTON, September 14, 2017 — On the heels of today’s release of the 2016 Census American Community Survey findings, the Food Research & Action Center launched new interactive data tools that illustrate poverty rates and household SNAP participation rates by state and congressional district.

WASHINGTON, September 12, 2017 — The U.S. household poverty rate decreased in 2016, according to today’s Census Bureau annual release of income, poverty, and health insurance data. The poverty rate went from 13.5 in 2015 to 12.7 percent in 2016. While this progress is good, it merely underscores that poverty in this country remains much too high.

WASHINGTON, September 6, 2017 — More than 41 million Americans lived in households struggling with food insecurity — limited or uncertain access to enough food — in 2016. The 12.3 percent household food insecurity rate is still higher than the rate right before the Great Recession (11.1 percent in 2007). Studies show that food insecurity harms health, ability to learn, productivity, and the nation’s economic strength.