USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday that the administration is providing up to $1.5 billion to states and school districts to help school meal program operators deal with supply chain disruptions.
Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture Stacy Dean says the funding is made available through USDA?s Commodity Credit Corporation. She says school meal programs have a wide-reaching impact on the health and well-being of the nation?s children.
Dean explains that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts have met extraordinary challenges to ensure that every child has the food needed to learn, grow and thrive.
In total, the Supply Chain Assistance Funds are expected to provide a boost in resources for up to 100,000 schools across all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including public, tribal, charter schools, and nonprofit private schools as well as residential child care institutions.
