The full document can be found at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-usda-budget-summary.pdf More details will be provided in the coming days.
Child Nutrition Programs
The Budget funds the Child Nutrition Programs through new appropriations and prior year
balances, at a level that will support anticipated increases in participation and food cost inflation,
as well as implementation of the new legislation. The Budget projects serving 5.0 billion lunches
and snacks and 2.6 billion breakfasts in schools, 1.9 billion meals in child and adult care food
programs, and 182 million congregate and non-congregate meals through the Summer Food
Service Program. It requests the benefit and State administrative funding needed to serve children
across all States with summer EBT benefits in summer 2024.
Requested increases for Child Nutrition Programs include funds to strengthen integrity controls in
CACFP, modernize food ordering and inventory management systems, and staffing to enhance
FNS’s ability to provide critical technical assistance and oversight of child nutrition programs,
including the implementation of the Summer EBT program and increased support for Farm to
School.
The Budget also includes an important legislative proposal that would advance a pathway to free
school meals for an additional 9 million school children through increased take up of the
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) among schools and States. This proposal is expected to
cost $234 million in 2024 and $15 billion over 10 years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, children
had access to free meals resulting from temporary flexibilities provided in FFCRA, and now many
States are seeking ways to continue offering free school meals for all students. Offering free meals
to all children reduces administrative burden, increases equitable access, reduces the stigma
associated with school meal participation, and allows school food service professionals to focus
on their core mission of providing nutritious meals to children.
Commodity Assistance Program (CAP)
The Budget requests $517 million for CAP. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
works to improve the health of low-income elderly persons at least 60 years of age by
supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods. The Budget includes a $51.4 million
increase for CSFP to ensure the program can continue to serve the full caseload. It also includes
an $8 million increase for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) administration,
bringing the request to the authorized level of $100 million.
