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El Servicio de Alimentos y Nutrición (Food and Nutrition Service o FNS, por sus siglas en inglés) del Departamento de Agricultura Estadounidense (USDA) continúa colaborando con la isla de Puerto Rico para abordar las necesidades de los residentes luego de azotar el Huracán Fiona.

FNS continues to work with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to address the needs of island residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona.

USDA has partnered with 42 states and territories across the country to provide summer food buying benefits to families with children. These states and territories will provide an estimated $12.5 billion in temporary nutrition benefits to approximately 32 million children.

I am pleased to see that Congress has taken action to provide much needed support to help USDA’s child nutrition programs serve nutritious meals to America’s children. - Secretary Vilsack

USDA’s child nutrition programs provide nutritious meals to America’s children. The school and other nutrition professionals who make these meals possible need additional resources and continued flexibilities as they grapple with the ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic. The deal would ease uncertainty and bring a measure of relief to our schools, summer sites and child care feeding programs - Secretary Vilsack.

In its continued efforts to get formula to families in need, the USDA is encouraging state agencies and their infant formula manufacturers to consider seeking temporary flexibility in their infant formula contracts to allow WIC participants to purchase alternate sizes, forms, or brands of infant formula during the current shortage.

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s coordinated drive to end the infant formula shortage, USDA is urging states to take advantage of flexibilities the department is offering in to help WIC families get the safe formula they need.

FNS announced today that it will interpret the prohibition on discrimination based on sex found in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, SNAP to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

USDA today announced that it has granted additional flexibilities in response to the impact of the 2022 Abbott recall of certain powder infant formula provided through WIC.  

FNS today reflected on its efforts over the past year to ensure households across the country have access to a nutritious diet. Throughout the first year of the Biden-Harris Administration, FNS bolstered its nutrition assistance programs through a wide range of administrative actions and with the unprecedented $12 billion investment in food assistance provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.

Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced an adjustment in school meal reimbursements to help schools continue to serve children healthy and nutritious meals. This move will put an estimated $750 million more into school meal programs across the nation this year, making sure federal reimbursements keep pace with food and operational costs, while ensuring children continue to receive healthy meals at school.

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced a 23% increase, or $463.8 million in annual funding for nutrition assistance in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.  In fiscal year 2022, which starts Oct. 1, 2021, the Commonwealth will receive $2.5 billion grant for the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP). In fiscal year 2021, Puerto Rico received $2.038 billion for NAP. 

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service announced a 23% increase, or $1.86 million in annual nutrition assistance for American Samoa. In fiscal year 2022, which starts Oct. 1, 2021, the territory will receive $10.047 million grant for the American Samoa Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP). In fiscal year 2021, American Samoa received $8.185 million for NAP.  

In January 2021, President Biden released the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness. The plan is driven by science, data, and public health to improve the effectiveness of our nation’s fight against COVID-19 and to restore trust, accountability and a sense of common purpose in our response to the pandemic.

USDA today announced a new effort funded by the American Rescue Plan to provide adequate nutrition to more than 30 million children over the summer by expanding Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits.

USDA today issued a broad range of flexibilities to allow school meal programs and childcare institutions across the country to return to serving healthy meals in fall 2021 as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to reopen schools safely.