More schoolchildren are getting dinner from Uncle Sam as USDA after-school program expands
By APSunday, May 9, 2010
For more children, dinner is coming from Uncle Sam
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — More low-income school kids could soon have access to free nutritious dinners.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering reimbursements for meals served to at-risk kids in after-school programs in 13 states and the District of Columbia. This year the program expanded to Vermont.
The USDA says about 49,000 children benefit from the after-school meals each day.
Officials say the need is growing.
A USDA report says the number of Americans who live in food-insecure households rose to 49 million people in 2008. That’s up from 36 million in 2007. The report defines food-insecure households as homes that at times don’t have enough nutritious food.
The report says 16.7 million children were among those living in such households in 2008.
