About FNS
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works to end hunger and obesity through the administration of 15 federal nutrition assistance programs including WIC, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and school meals. In partnership with state and tribal governments, our programs serve one in four Americans during the course of a year. Working with our public, private and non-profit partners, our mission is to increase food security and reduce hunger by providing children and low-income people access to food, a healthful diet and nutrition education in a way that supports American agriculture and inspires public confidence. No American should have to go hungry. FNS also co-develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans with the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
We are committed to ensuring access to healthy and safe food for those participating in our programs including expecting mothers; infants and children in child care and school; low-income families going to food banks; local farmers markets; and local supermarkets. These are investments that support education, health care, and a competitive workforce.
We are committed to the sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars through aggressive efforts to reduce and prevent fraud and increase efficiency.
FNS is proud of our accomplishments, which include:
- Increasing access to nutritious and safe food for eligible people.
- Helping to reduce the number of households with children that experience low food security.
- Partnering with schools to implement national standards designed to improve the quality of food served and sold in schools.
- Promoting healthful diets and active lifestyles among those participating in our programs.
- Reducing improper payments in the largest nutrition assistance program, SNAP.
Our challenge and commitment now, and in the future, is to ensure our programs continue to respond to the needs of the low-income families and respond to the changing economic conditions while ensuring we remain vigilant stewards of taxpayer dollars.