USDA seeks summer food sources for schoolchildren
May 23, 2011 | 06:45 PM
The Obama administration is worried that children who depend on free and reduced price school meals will go hungry this summer, and is trying to work with church groups and others to develop more summer feeding sites this summer, Agriculture Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon said today.
"The summertime is the greatest period of risk for American school children to go hungry," Concannon said in a speech to Wholesome Wave, a group that tries to help small and medium scale farmers and also help lower income people gain access to fruits and vegetables.
Noting that 22 million children get free and reduced price school lunches and 12 million get school breakfast, Concannon noted that only 3.5 million children participated in summer feeding programs last year.
Concannon said USDA is also experimenting with increasing food stamp benefits this summer for people with school-age children to see if that has an impact on their food security.
"The summertime is the greatest period of risk for American school children to go hungry," Concannon said in a speech to Wholesome Wave, a group that tries to help small and medium scale farmers and also help lower income people gain access to fruits and vegetables.
Noting that 22 million children get free and reduced price school lunches and 12 million get school breakfast, Concannon noted that only 3.5 million children participated in summer feeding programs last year.
Concannon said USDA is also experimenting with increasing food stamp benefits this summer for people with school-age children to see if that has an impact on their food security.
