U.S. Rep. David Trone Introduces Bill to Provide Emergency Funding to Child and Adult Nutrition Programs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hannah Muldavin, Hannah.Muldavin@mail.house.gov
U.S. Rep. David Trone Introduces Bill to Provide Emergency Funding to Child and Adult Nutrition Programs
New bill likely to be included in the Heroes Act, the next coronavirus response package introduced by House Democrats
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative David Trone (MD-06) was in Washington, DC to preside over the House floor and introduce the Food and Nutrition Provider Emergency Support Act of 2020 to give emergency funding to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a federal program that provides nutritious meals to qualifying children and adults. This bill is likely to be included in the Heroes Act, the coronavirus response package that the House is currently slated to consider on Friday.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, the CACFP program has provided critical nutrition and meal support to child care centers and after school programs, children and adult day care centers, and children residing in emergency shelters. At a time when many children and adults rely on meals and snacks from these programs, additional funding is necessary so participating institutions and sponsors implementing CACFP can continue feeding children in need. Many schools are also using this program to provide dinner for children who are out of school during this unprecedented public health crisis.
“No child or adult should wonder where their next meal is coming from, especially during a global pandemic that has threatened the physical, mental, and economic health of our nation,” said Congressman Trone. “This emergency funding provides the federal support to the state and local organizations that make sure the most vulnerable in our communities have access to nutritious meals and snacks during this unprecedented crisis.”
The funding will be administered by states and distributed to providers based on a formula that takes into account the typical level of reimbursement a provider would receive to operate the program, and the reimbursement being received during the pandemic.
You can see a copy of the bill text here.
In Congress, David Trone has made investing in school meal programs a top priority. This month, he led a bipartisan effort to urge the USDA to waive restrictions on access to school meals during the COVID-19 outbreak. He recently led a bipartisan effort, the CARE for Kids Act, to extend automatic eligibility for free school meals to certain vulnerable groups of children. Last summer, he took a tour of his district to highlight the importance of the Summer Meals Programs in schools, where he was joined by celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio from Frederick, MD. In his position on the Education and Labor Committee, he has supported several bills related to protecting and expanding school meal programs
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