Summary: The Child Care Food Program, one of several child nutrition programs funded and administered by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve the nutritional intake of the Nation's children, provides commodities and financial assistance to food service programs serving children in day care centers, headstart centers, centers for the handicapped, and family day care homes. The program, which operates in 53 States and territories, is a tripartite program involving USDA, State Governments, and participating institutions. State education agencies usually administer the program under the regional offices of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. However, in 12 States, a cognizant service regional office administers the program. Public or private nonprofit institutions, called sponsors, manage the program locally. All children receive their meals free or at less than cost depending on family income. Peak average daily attendance has risen from about 40,000 in 1969 to more than 650,000 in 1979, and the number of meals has increased from 8 million to almost 400 million. Annual program costs have risen from $1.2 million to about $192 million. Tests of meals served at the feeding sites visited showed that 62 percent did not meet USDA meal service standards. Component weight and volume standards were not complied with in 69 meals, and 12 others lacked one or more of the required components. At 24 of the 115 sites visited, conditions were observed which could adversely affect children's health. Financial management was poor. Records supporting expenditures, meal counts, and reimbursement rate entitlement were either missing, unavailable, incomplete, or inaccurate. These deficiencies have resulted in part from poor Federal and State program policies and management. The Food and Nutrition Service has not fulfilled certain of its mandated managerial responsibilities nor initiated all the necessary management actions to assure program effectiveness and efficiency. The implementation of the 1978 Child Nutrition Amendments will increase program costs and may exacerbate problems caused by poor management. The legislative measures and implementing regulations need to be reexamined to assure that the health and well-being of the Nation's children is best served. Agency officials believe that the program's shortcomings resulted from the lack of aggressive management and certain constraints including personnel ceilings and financial limitations.
