February 26, 2003

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman Tuesday outlined Bush administration principles for the reauthorization of the child nutrition programs, including providing financial support to schools that promote good nutrition and partnerships at the federal, state and local levels. More specific details will be provided in the coming months as the Congress begins to examine more closely the reauthorization of these programs.

The Secretary said that the reauthorization of child nutrition programs, such as the school breakfast and school lunch programs, the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program, and summer feeding programs provides the opportunity to address issues dealing with the nutritional health of children and adults.

The Administration's guiding principles include:

--Ensure all eligible children have access to program benefits. This includes streamlining the administration of programs to minimize burdens and increase meal reimbursements to provide support for quality program meals.

--Support healthy school environments. This includes providing financial incentives to schools that promote good nutrition, including serving meals that meet the dietary guidelines, offering healthy-choice alternatives and providing nutrition education.

--Ensure program integrity. This includes a variety of efforts including addressing the issue of over-certification, increasing resources to evaluate the impact of program changes on children and schools and providing adequate program oversight. The government should ensure that results are being achieved. The commitment to ensuring program integrity is balanced with the commitment to access for eligible children and minimizing administrative burdens for those who operate the programs.

Veneman also announced that the administration will consider financial and other incentives to schools that support a healthy school environment. Schools will make the decisions, but if a school supports healthy alternatives for students, that choice could result in additional funds.

The announcement was made during the first National Nutrition Education Conference, "Nutrition Connections: People, Programs and Science." The three-day event is part of a Bush administration effort, sponsored by USDA, to discuss and develop science-based, nutrition education initiatives aimed at promoting positive eating and health habits among those served by USDA's nutrition assistance programs.

Information on USDA's food and nutrition programs can be found at http://www.usda.gov.