More schoolchildren are getting dinner from Uncle Sam as USDA after-school program expands

By AP
Sunday, 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.

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