Vilsack: Healthy school meals, greater access to food are vital
Despite political polarization, Congress should keep child nutrition programs rolling towards healthier school meals and making the food available to more youngsters, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in spelling out his goals for reauthorization of the programs. Vilsack said he would like to see more funding for the summer food program for school-age children, more participation in school breakfast and more schools enrolled in a program that allows free meals to all pupils in a low-income neighborhood.
Headlined by school lunch and WIC, child nutrition programs cost $21 billion a year. A 2010 update of the programs expires on Sept 30. Some Republican lawmakers say the 2010 law, a landmark that requires schools to serve more grains, low-fat dairy, fruits and vegetables and to serve less fat, salt and sugar, is too rigid and too costly. They have suggested a stand-still on regulations calling for less salt and more whole grains. A year ago, some of them called for a waiver from the rules if schools could show they were losing money at the lunchroom.
“It’s important for Congress to find a way to provide for reauthorization without taking a step back, for Congress to continue the commitment that it made in 2010 to a brighter and better future for our children,” Vilsack said during a news conference at the National Press Club with leaders of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Pew Charitable Trusts child nutrition program.
It was the first time the administration has detailed goals for reauthorization. The bulk of Vilsack’s remarks were a rebuttal of criticism of the 2010 reforms and an argument against rollbacks in nutrition standards.
Lawmakers are unlikely to pass a reauthorization bill before Sept 30, so a short-term extension of the programs is likely. Chairman Pat Robers has called a Sept 17 session by the Senate Agriculture Committee “to mark up bipartisan legislation reauthorizing child nutrition programs.” Antihunger activists said leaders of the House Education Committee might file a bill next week. But it can take months for the House and Senate to agree on all provisions of a bill and send it to the White House.
The School Nutrition Association (SNA), representing school food directors, said “Congress must maintain strong federal nutrition standards while providing more funding and options for school meal planners to appeal to diverse student tastes.” The organization seeks a 35-cent-per-meal increase in federal reimbursement rates and relaxation of some of the food rules. The reimbursment rate was $2.93 for lunch served at no charge to a student during the 2014/15 school year; the rate was lower for snacks and meals sold at a reduced price or at full price.
“My guess is that’s not in the cards,” said Vilsack when asked about an increase in the reimbursement rate, adding the administration would not argue against an increase if Congress decided it is appropriate.
AAP president Dr Sandra Hassink and Jessica Black of Pew joined Vilsack in saying the 2010 reforms have broad public support and that students are eating healthier meals with less food thrown in the trash. And, they said 95 percent of U.S. school districts comply with the new rules, which brings then an additional 6-cent reimbursement.
“I see children with obesity, have for 27 years, who have the health profiles of sick, middle-aged adults” said Hassink, enumerating the chronic disease associated with obesity – high cholesterol, liver disease, apnea and Type 2 diabetes. Children eat half of their calories at school, so healthy meals are important, she said. Black encouraged more money for cafeteria equipment and for training food workers. In many areas, she said, the school cafeteria amounts to the largest restaurant in town with a clientele that expects variety.
At the same time the CDC says up to one-third of children are over-weight or obese, nearly 16 milllion children live in food-insecure households, according to USDA.
An average 30.5 children ate hot meals through the school lunch program during fiscal 2014, down 4 percent from 31.8 million in fiscal 2011, before the 2010 reforms took effect and during the recovery from recession. About 13.6 million student participated in the school breakfast program during fiscal 2014, up 11 percent from 12.2 million in fiscal 2011. The summer meals program served an average 2.7 million children during fiscal 2014, up 17 percent from 2.3 million in fiscal 2011.
The school lunch, school breakfast and school milk programs cost a combined $16.4 billion in fiscal 2014. The so-called WIC program, which provides supplemental food to pregnant women, new mothers and children, served 8.3 million people at a cost of $6.3 billion, compared to nearly 9 million people at a cost of $7.2 billion in fiscal 2011.