USDA Report Underscores the Urgent Need to Extend Child Nutrition Waivers

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2022 — Congress must provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with the authority to continue child nutrition waivers through the 2022-2023 school year in the appropriations package currently being negotiated and expected to pass this week.

These waivers have been critical in supporting school nutrition operations so that children would have access to school and summer meals throughout the pandemic, and they are needed as schools and families recover from and respond to the economic, health, and educational fallout from the pandemic.

New Report: Older Adults Say Temporary Boosts to Nutrition Program Benefits Are Critical to Health, Well-Being

WASHINGTON, February 24, 2022 — An overwhelming majority of more than two dozen older adults interviewed about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) said increased benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic improved their food-purchasing power, nutrition, health, and well-being. This is according to a new report, The Case for Making SNAP Benefits Adequate: Reflections from Interviews with Older Adults, released today by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) and commissioned by AARP Foundation.

Nearly 2,000 Organizations Urge Congress to Extend Child Nutrition Waivers

WASHINGTON, February 4, 2022 — The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) and nearly 2,000 national, state, and local organizations from every state across the country, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, signed a letter urging Congress to swiftly extend the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) authority to issue nationwide waivers for the Child Nutrition Programs beyond the current waivers’ expiration date of June 30, 2022.