Government Activities
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS),
in partnership with cooperating organizations, provides children and needy
families access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education in a
manner that supports American agriculture and inspires public confidence.
The FNS administers 15 food-assistance programs, which serve 1 in 6
Americans, providing a safety net to people in need.
The programs' goals are to
- Provide needy persons with access to a more nutritious diet.
- Improve the eating habits of the nation's children.
- Help America's farmers by providing an outlet for the distribution
of food purchased under farmer assistance authorities.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children
The mission of this program (referred to as WIC) is to safeguard the
health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at
nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets,
information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.
Breastfeeding-related educational services are described elsewhere on this
Web site, at http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/compend-wic.htm.
Commodity Supplemental Food Program
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) works to improve the
health of low-income pregnant and breastfeeding women, other new mothers
up to one year postpartum, infants, children up to age six, and elderly
people at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with
nutritious USDA commodity foods. It provides food and administrative funds
to states to supplement the diets of these groups.
The population served by CSFP is similar to that served by the WIC
Program, but CSFP also serves the elderly and provides food rather than
the food vouchers. Eligible people cannot participate in both programs at
the same time. CSFP food packages do not provide a complete diet, but
rather are good sources of the nutrients typically lacking in the diets of
the target population.
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program is authorized under Section
4(a) of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973. Federal
regulations covering CFSP can be found in 7 CFR, Parts 247 and 250. An
average of more than 388,000 people each month participated in the program
in fiscal year 2000, including more than 293,000 elderly people and more
than 95,000 women, infants, and children.
For more information about CSFP, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/csfp/csfpfaq.htm.
Breastfed Babies Welcome Here
Developed and supported by FNS, "Breastfed Babies Welcome
Here" promotes breastfeeding in childcare settings. This educational
and promotional packet offers advice on collecting, storing, and handling
breastmilk. For more information elsewhere on this Web site, visit http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/compend-usda-bbwh.htm.
Other FNS–sponsored programs
For information about other FNS-sponsored food-distribution and
nutrition-education programs, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/.
Contact information:
Address: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Communication and Government Affairs
3101 Park Center Drive, Room 942
Alexandria, Virginia 22302
Telephone: (703) 305-2281
Web site: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/
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