Child Nutrition and WIC Programs: Background and Funding

Publication Date: August 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Health

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Abstract:

Federally supported child nutrition programs and related activities -- including school meal programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (the WIC program) -- reach over 37 million children and almost 2 million lower-income pregnant/postpartum women. In FY2004, anticipated spending on these programs is $16.6 billion, and the FY2004 appropriations law (P.L. 108-199) supports this spending level (although with new appropriations of a lesser amount, some $16 billion). The Administration's FY2005 revised budget request envisions spending a total of $17.15 billion, supported by new appropriations of $16.47 billion. The House FY2005 appropriations bill (H.R. 4766) would support spending of $16.97 billion with new appropriations of $16.29 billion.

The School Lunch and School Breakfast programs provide cash subsidies to participating schools for all meals they serve; larger subsidies are granted for free and reduced-price meals served to lower-income children. The Child and Adult Care Food Program subsidizes meals and snacks served by child care centers and day care homes; in centers, higher subsidies are given for meals/snacks served to lowerincome children, while subsidies for homes generally do not vary by children's family income (but are larger for homes in lower-income areas or operated by lowerincome providers). Schools and organizations operating programs for children also can receive subsidies for snacks (and, in some cases, meals) served in after-school and other outside-of-school settings. The Summer Food Service program subsidizes food service operations by public/private nonprofit sponsors in lower-income areas during the summer; all meals/snacks they serve are subsidized, generally without regard to individual children's family income. The Special Milk program operates in schools without a lunch program and subsidizes all milk they serve. All these subsidies are inflation-indexed and are paid only where the subsidized meals/snacks meet federal nutrition standards. In addition to cash aid, many providers receive food commodities from the Agriculture Department, at a set value per meal (and may receive "bonus" commodities from stocks acquired for agricultural support purposes). Grants also are made to help cover state administrative expenses. And, the WIC program provides nutrition services and tailored food packages to lowerincome pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children who are judged to be at nutritional risk. Other significant federal programs/activities include: a WIC farmers' market nutrition program, support for a Food Service Management Institute, a small nutrition education initiative, and efforts to improve meal quality, food service, and safety.

The programs are administered by the Agriculture Department's Food and Nutrition Service and state education, social service, and health agencies. They are actually operated, under state oversight, by over 300,000 local providers (such as schools, child care centers, and health clinics). Federal payments do not necessarily cover all program costs, and non-federal support is significant (e.g., children's families' meal payments, state and local contributions).