Child Nutrition and WIC Programs: Background and Recent Funding (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised July 12, 2006 |
| Report Number |
RL33307 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Joe Richardson, Domestic Social Policy Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Federally supported child nutrition programs/initiatives and the Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (the WIC program) reach more than 39 million children
and 2 million lower-income pregnant/ postpartum women. In FY2006, spending on them is
anticipated to be $18.4 billion, supported by new appropriations of a lesser amount
($17.9 billion).
The Administration's FY2007 budget request envisions spending a total of $19.1 billion, with
new
appropriations of $18.8 billion. For FY2007, the House and Senate appropriations bills
( H.R. 5384 ) call for spending $19.2 billion, supported by new
appropriations of $18.6
billion in the House and $18.9 billion in the Senate.
Child Nutrition Programs. The School Lunch and School Breakfast
programs provide cash
subsidies for all meals they serve to schools choosing to participate; larger subsidies are granted for
free and reduced-price meals offered to lower-income children. The Child and Adult Care
Food
program subsidizes meals/snacks served by child care centers and day care homes; federal
subsidy
rules differ significantly between those provided to centers and those for day care homes. Schools
and organizations operating programs for children also can receive subsidies for snacks (and, in
some cases, meals) served in after-school and other outside-of-school settings . The
Summer Food
Service program subsidizes food service operations by public/private nonprofit sponsors
volunteering to operate projects during the summer; all meals/snacks they serve are free. The
Special Milk program operates in schools and other venues without a lunch program and
subsidizes
all milk served. All these subsidies are inflation-indexed and are paid only where the meals/snacks
meet federal nutrition and other standards. In addition to cash aid, many providers receive food
commodities from the Agriculture Department, at a set value per meal (and may receive
"bonus" commodities from Department surplus stocks). Grants also are made to help cover
state
administrative expenses . Other significant federal programs/activities include a free fresh fruit
and
vegetable program in selected schools, money for a Food Service Management Institute, a small
nutrition education initiative, activities to improve program integrity, meal quality, food service and
safety, and support for local school "wellness policies." Separately, the WIC
program provides
nutrition services (e.g., nutrition education, breastfeeding support) and tailored food packages to
lower-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children who are judged to be at
nutritional risk. And a WIC farmers' market program offers vouchers to WIC recipients
for the
purchase of fresh fruit and vegetables at farmers' markets.
These are administered by the Agriculture Department's Food and Nutrition Service and state
education, health, social service, and agriculture agencies. They actually are operated, under state
oversight, by over 300,000 local providers (such as schools, child care centers, health clinics).
Federal payments do not necessarily cover all program costs, and nonfederal support is significant
(e.g., children's families' school meal payments, state/local contributions).
This report will be updated as warranted.
