Cherokee Nation
Good News! SUN Bucks is Available in Your Location
- Website: Summer EBT Program
- Hotline: 539-234-3265 or 800-256-0671 ext. 5275
- Email: wicsebtc@cherokee.org
WASHINGTON, DC, September 21, 2018 – USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue yesterday hosted a roundtable with local school officials to learn more about how USDA can best assist and enable their efforts to serve nutritious meals to our nation's children.
The meeting was part of the Secretary's ongoing efforts to explore reforms that will make school meals more appealing by giving control back to local school food professionals who know the children best.
“School officials have expertise critical to the conversation of school meal reform,” said Perdue. “USDA is committed to giving schools the common sense flexibilities they need to serve nutritious meals kids will want to eat.”
Local officials provided feedback on the role of school meal policy in ensuring their students' nutrition:
The Secretary's roundtable was held in advance of the publication of the final rule on Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements, targeted for release later this year. The interim final rule published in November 2017 gave schools flexibilities for the milk, sodium, and whole grain requirements for school year 2018-2019.
“We are looking ahead for more ways to help local operators run world-class school meal programs,” said Perdue. The Secretary added that increasing program efficiency and accountability is a priority for USDA, as it makes the best use of taxpayer dollars.
USDA Acting Deputy Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Brandon Lipps expects to meet with more school meals partners and customers through the remainder of the year. USDA encourages local feedback and seeks to provide the tools and flexibilities school meal programs need to improve customer service.
USDA's Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs. In addition to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, these programs include the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, the National School Lunch Program, and the Summer Food Service Program which together comprise America's nutrition safety net. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov.
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