The Economic Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides the latest data on several USDA programs that ensure nutritious meals and snacks. Operations for initiatives such as the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs were disrupted in 2020 by the pandemic, even as food needs were on the rise. Total expenditures on Child Nutrition Programs declined to $21.9 billion in FY 2020 and increased to $28.4 billion in FY 2021, the first full fiscal year of the pandemic. According to the nonprofit Food Research & Action Center, 1 in 5 households with children in rural areas was food insecure in 2016.
