Congressman Cleaver Votes to Protect Access to School Meals for Missouri Children

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) voted in favor of H.R. 8150, the Keep Kids Fed Act, which would ensure that schools in Missouri and across the country can continue providing meals for students despite ongoing supply chain issues. The Keep Kids Fed Act would allow the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide additional assistance to child nutrition programs by reimbursing them at a higher rate as they continue to serve healthy meals.

"As our nation and economy continue to recover from the global pandemic, like many other entities, school meal programs in Missouri and other states across the country are still grappling with supply chain shortages and cost barriers. Because no child should wonder where their next meal will come from, the Keep Kids Fed Act will make sure they don't have to by providing additional assistance so that schools in the Fifth Congressional District of Missouri can continue to provide students the healthy and nutritious food they need to learn and grow strong," said Congressman Cleaver. "I'm proud to have voted for this legislation, and as we take this important step in the fight to address child hunger, I will continue working on a bipartisan basis to support our nation's children by bolstering school nutrition programs."

Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), Congress gave USDA critical flexibilities to help child nutrition programs continue serving children during the COVID-19 pandemic. This relief has helped feed hungry students in Missouri during school closures, virtual learning, and social distancing that disrupted traditional meal service. Without the Keep Kids Fed Act, those flexibilities provided under the FFCRA would expire on June 30, limiting schools' ability to maintain school meal programs.

To ensure America's children can continue to access school meal programs, the Keep Kids Fed Act would:

Provide nationwide waiver authority for school meal flexibilities that do not increase costs;
Allow waivers related to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) during the summer months;
Increase reimbursement rates for the 2022-2023 school year by an additional 15 cents per breakfast and 40 cents per lunch; and
Provide enhanced support to the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program.

Source