USDA Official Visits Wyoming to Highlight Ways to Provide Nutrition to Low-Income Kids

Casper, WY, June 21, 2011 - Today, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Janey Thornton addressed the need for more Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites across the country to feed low-income children when school is out. During the 2011 Wyoming School Nutrition Association Conference in Casper, Thornton was joined by Wyoming dignitaries and officials including Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), Congressman Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Wyoming's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Cindy Hill. The three day event includes more than 150 participants and 200 children.

"Each year, millions of Americans struggle to provide healthy meals to their children during the summer," said Thornton. "Thanks to our valued partners, more stakeholders in Wyoming and around the nation are aware of the nutrition gap low-income children face when school is out of session."

During the regular school year, more than 21 million children nationwide receive free and reduced-priced meals through the National School Lunch Program, yet little more than 3 million kids are fed in summer meals programs. Thornton emphasized the Administration's commitment to feed more hungry children this summer. She also touted renewed efforts by USDA and partners to highlight the important nutrition benefits provided by the SFSP and other healthy meal options available for low-income children across the country. This summer:

• Let's Move! Faith and Communities (part of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative) will work with partners to host new feeding sites at congregations and neighborhood organizations;
• the Corporation for National and Community Service's 515 AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates will work at anti-hunger organizations across the country to feed more children in programs, including the SFSP;
• sponsors will benefit from new waivers to simplify existing regulations in the SFSP to streamline ways to feed low-income children when school is out;
• several states will test innovative enhancements to the SFSP, including the provision of food backpacks to provide assistance over weekends, and meal delivery to reach children in rural areas;
• and last week Secretary Vilsack kicked-off the first National Summer Food Service Program Week, a week-long awareness campaign promoting initiatives across the nation aimed at nourishing low-income children during summer months.

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) oversees the administration of 15 nutrition assistance programs, including the Summer Food Service Program and other child nutrition programs, that touch the lives of one in four Americans over the course of a year. These programs work in concert to form a national safety net against hunger.