Secretary Vilsack Urges Congress to Improve Child Nutrition

Millions of kids in the United States live in households that don’t have enough food. And without national school lunch and breakfast programs, many would receive even fewer meals.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke today in Washington, DC, about the importance of protecting and strengthening programs that reduce hunger and improve nutrition for U.S. children.

“You might be shocked to learn that in 2008, 16.7 million American children lived in households that had difficulty putting enough food on the table,” he told a gathering at the National Press Club. “And in over 500,000 households, children skipped meals or ate less than they needed because of a lack of resources.”

Vilsack urged Congress to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act, which would include improving nutrition standards for school meals; making it easier for more kids to access meal programs; serving healthier foods; increasing physical activity in schools; and teaching kids and parents about more nutritious foods.

Bread strongly supports the reauthorization bill -- check here for information about Bread’s work to end childhood hunger, including how you can help make sure these programs are reauthorized.

While food assistance is vital, however, it isn’t enough. Progress against hunger requires broader economic efforts to reduce poverty. That’s why Bread’s 2010 Offering of Letters focuses on protecting and strengthening tax credits that help low-income families put food on the table. Find out more here.