Enhancing Nutrition Program Integrity to Combat Food Insecurity

National Nutrition Month

Food insecurity: A Serious Issue in the United States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research, in its study Food Security in the U.S. – Key Statistics & Graphics, defines food insecurity and identifies two levels of food security – low and very low. (See infographic.)

According to the USDA, food insecurity means that at times during the year, some households experience uncertainty about having food or being able to obtain enough food to meet the needs of everyone in the home, either because they lack money or food resources. In 2024, nearly 13.7 percent of households with children, roughly 18.3 million people, in the country were food insecure at some point.

Research shows that food insecurity correlates with serious issues that have profound consequences. Lack of affordable, quality food causes reliance on a low-quality diet – highly processed, inexpensive, and calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foods. This is especially true in food deserts – often urban neighborhoods or rural areas – with few accessible supermarkets offering greater availability of nutritious foods. Thus, food insecurity is a direct cause of the malnutrition and obesity that set kids up for chronic health problems later and a key driver of health disparities and poorer outcomes.

Solutions: Food and Nutrition Services Programs Answer the Call

Sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month® is observed each March to highlight the importance of developing healthy eating and exercise habits and of making informed choices about food.

This observance also focuses attention on the role of food and nutrition services (FNS), such as the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), in providing nutritious meals to children (and adults) in need.

These programs reach some of the most underserved children and adults right in their own communities, providing millions of meals and snacks that mitigate the effects of food insecurity. The programs directly address hunger, provide nutrition that supports better health outcomes, and offer safety nets that increase stability for lower-income households.

The reporting on these programs (see infographic) is strong advocacy for them – the good they do and the benefit they provide to vulnerable individuals across the country.

Food and Nutrition Service Programs: Complex Challenges

Developing and implementing a nutrition program, while meeting regulatory requirements, is no simple mandate. State agencies are charged with running these programs at community levels, while meeting federal requirements, which translates into complexity and, sometimes, program shortfalls that negatively affect the at-risk populations they are designed to serve.

Programs must meet requirements for serving size, nutrition levels, food delivery, and timeliness, and the centers themselves must also meet certain standards and provide proper documentation. All requirements must be satisfied for the programs to pass legal muster and stand up to regulatory scrutiny. That’s why state agencies need a trusted partner to help navigate the complexity of these issues and standards.

How Myers and Stauffer Can Help

Since 1977, we have partnered exclusively with local, state, and federal government health and human-services agencies to help them accomplish their most critical goals for the nation’s most vulnerable people.

In 2018, we started contracting with state agencies to perform administrative reviews (ARs) of state- administered child nutrition programs. Our services have grown since then and now include:

ARs for the CACFP and the SFSP.
ARs and procurement reviews (PRs) for the NSLP.
Training for state agency staff.
Training for participating organizations on behalf of state agencies (school food authorities, sponsors, independent centers, etc.).

We currently provide these services to multiple states to ensure compliance with state and federal requirements. In fact, we have completed more than 2,000 ARs and PRs. Since 2018, we have developed a deep understanding of child nutrition program eligibility requirements, nutrition standards and meal components, documentation protocols, civil rights compliance, claims verification, financial management, allowable administrative costs, and program costs. Our contracts with our very first child nutrition client have continued year after year, which demonstrates our clients’ satisfaction with and reliance on our high-quality AR expertise.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our services, which includes knowledgeable reviewer staff and a multi-level internal quality review before deliverables are issued to clients. We are prepared to put our quality standards and experience to work for you. Contact a member of our team today.