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  • For food-insecure and food-secure schoolchildren, school meal foods are of higher diet quality than foods from other sources
    5/3/2021
    For food-insecure and food-secure schoolchildren, school meal foods are of higher diet quality than foods from other sources
  • Federal spending on food assistance reached record high of $122.1 billion in 2020
    4/23/2021
    Federal spending on food assistance reached record high of $122.1 billion in 2020
  • Online redemptions of SNAP and P-EBT benefits rapidly expanded throughout 2020
    4/16/2021
    Online redemptions of SNAP and P-EBT benefits rapidly expanded throughout 2020
  • SNAP and P-EBT benefit redemptions surpassed prior 3-year average in 2020
    4/8/2021
    SNAP and P-EBT benefit redemptions surpassed prior 3-year average in 2020
  • Participation in USDA’s School Breakfast Program doubled between 1999 and 2019
    3/10/2021
    Participation in USDA’s School Breakfast Program doubled between 1999 and 2019
  • The share of children receiving free school lunches and breakfasts rose between 2009 and 2019
    10/19/2020
    The share of children receiving free school lunches and breakfasts rose between 2009 and 2019
  • Child care centers accounted for 75 percent of meals provided by USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program in fiscal year 2019
    9/23/2020
    Child care centers accounted for 75 percent of meals provided by USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program in fiscal year 2019
  • Federal spending on food assistance in fiscal year (FY) 2019 at lowest level since FY 2009
    8/21/2020
    Federal spending on food assistance in fiscal year (FY) 2019 at lowest level since FY 2009
  • USDA’s Summer Food Service Program served 2.7 million children at 47,463 sites in 2019
    6/11/2020
    USDA’s Summer Food Service Program served 2.7 million children at 47,463 sites in 2019
  • Decline in school lunch participation driven by drops in full- and reduced-price participation
    8/28/2019
    Decline in school lunch participation driven by drops in full- and reduced-price participation
  • USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program served more than 4.3 million children in 2018
    8/2/2019
    USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program served more than 4.3 million children in 2018
  • USDA’s Summer Food Service Program served 2.7 million children in 2018
    7/5/2019
    USDA’s Summer Food Service Program served 2.7 million children in 2018
  • Districts with high-poverty schools generally make greater use of USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision for school meals
    9/20/2018
    Districts with high-poverty schools generally make greater use of USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision for school meals
  • Eligible schools can offer free meals to all students through the Community Eligibility Provision
    8/29/2018
    Eligible schools can offer free meals to all students through the Community Eligibility Provision
  • Participation in USDA’s Summer Food Service Program varies across States
    7/10/2018
    Participation in USDA’s Summer Food Service Program varies across States
  • Percent of population participating in USDA's Summer Food Service Program, July 2016
    6/7/2018
    Percent of population participating in USDA's Summer Food Service Program, July 2016
  • In the past decade, participation in USDA’s School Breakfast Program has grown by more than 5 million
    11/6/2017
    In the past decade, participation in USDA’s School Breakfast Program has grown by more than 5 million
  • In 2016, 73 percent of USDA school lunches were free or reduced price
    10/10/2017
    In 2016, 73 percent of USDA school lunches were free or reduced price
  • Over 80 percent of food-insecure households with school-age children receive free or reduced-price school lunches
    8/21/2017
    Over 80 percent of food-insecure households with school-age children receive free or reduced-price school lunches
  • Forty-three percent of households with food-insecure children in 2014-15 had incomes below the Federal poverty line
    7/26/2017
    Forty-three percent of households with food-insecure children in 2014-15 had incomes below the Federal poverty line
  • Child food insecurity more common in households with school-age children than with children only under age 5
    6/21/2017
    Child food insecurity more common in households with school-age children than with children only under age 5
  • More children participated in USDA’s Summer Food Service Program in 2016
    6/8/2017
    More children participated in USDA’s Summer Food Service Program in 2016
  • Schools in the Northeast are more likely to serve local foods every school day
    5/22/2017
    Schools in the Northeast are more likely to serve local foods every school day
  • Behavioral economics suggests simple nudges can lead children to eat healthy foods
    9/1/2016
    Behavioral economics suggests simple nudges can lead children to eat healthy foods
  • Participation in USDA's School Breakfast Program continues to increase
    9/1/2016
    Participation in USDA's School Breakfast Program continues to increase
  • Fast food plays a larger role in all children's diets, but school food remains relatively more important for lower income children
    8/23/2016
    Fast food plays a larger role in all children's diets, but school food remains relatively more important for lower income children
  • More sites offered USDA's Summer Food Service Program in 2015
    6/6/2016
    More sites offered USDA's Summer Food Service Program in 2015
  • A growing number of school meals are served at no charge to students
    5/19/2016
    A growing number of school meals are served at no charge to students
  • One-third of those participating in WIC in April 2014 had income at or below 50 percent of poverty level
    3/22/2016
    One-third of those participating in WIC in April 2014 had income at or below 50 percent of poverty level
  • National School Lunch Program per-capita participation varies by State
    3/15/2016
    National School Lunch Program per-capita participation varies by State
  • Per-capita participation in USDA's School Breakfast Program grew from 2009 to 2014 in almost all States
    1/29/2016
    Per-capita participation in USDA's School Breakfast Program grew from 2009 to 2014 in almost all States
  • Southern and southwestern States have higher per capita participation in School Breakfast Program
    1/20/2016
    Southern and southwestern States have higher per capita participation in School Breakfast Program
  • Costs per school breakfast drop more sharply than per-lunch costs as number served increases
    1/4/2016
    Costs per school breakfast drop more sharply than per-lunch costs as number served increases
  • School breakfast costs drop as number of breakfasts served increases
    11/12/2015
    School breakfast costs drop as number of breakfasts served increases
  • Rural school districts and those in the Southwest reported largest lunch price increases
    11/6/2015
    Rural school districts and those in the Southwest reported largest lunch price increases
  • Number of students paying full price for school lunches declined since the 2007-09 recession
    10/19/2015
    Number of students paying full price for school lunches declined since the 2007-09 recession