When you think about the role the U.S. plays in helping kids around the world, one crucial part has been providing free school meals to children in impoverished countries.
But now, that support is facing a serious setback.
The Trump administration has decided to pull federal funding from almost all of Catholic Relief Services’ international school feeding projects, leaving hundreds of thousands of kids at risk of losing their daily meals.
What’s Happening With the Funding?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced it will end funding for 11 out of the 13 projects run by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) through the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program.
This program, which has had bipartisan backing since the early 2000s, uses American agricultural commodities to support school feeding and nutrition efforts worldwide, including for mothers and children.
With this cut, over 780,000 school-age children across 11 countries will see their meal programs discontinued by this July.
For many of these kids, that meal might be the only consistent food they get all day.
The Human Cost Behind the Numbers
Sean Callahan, the President and CEO of CRS, didn’t hold back in expressing how devastating this move is.
He called it not just a policy change but a “life-altering blow” to children who depend on these meals to stay healthy, remain in school, and hold onto hope for their futures.
In many of these countries, CRS says the program is literally a lifeline — providing children with their only dependable daily meal.
Beyond just feeding kids, the program supports local communities and helps maintain food security and economic stability. Cutting this aid threatens all of that.
Callahan emphasized the moral dimension, saying, “Ending a program that provides a child’s only meal is deeply troubling and goes against our values as a nation and as people of faith.”
He called for a collective responsibility to ensure vulnerable children get the nourishment they need to learn and grow.
The Administration’s Justification
From the USDA’s side, a spokesperson confirmed the funding cuts and explained that the move aligns with President Trump’s broader agenda.
The goal, they said, is to make America “safer, stronger, and more prosperous” by focusing aid projects on priorities that highlight American agriculture.
They also stressed that the USDA looks forward to continuing to fund projects that fit this vision, both existing and new ones, where American agricultural products are front and center.
What’s Next for These Children?
With these projects ending this summer, there is a real question about what will happen next.
Hundreds of thousands of children who rely on these meals could face increased hunger and struggle to stay in school without this support.
The future of food security and economic stability in these vulnerable regions also hangs in the balance.
As this story unfolds, the hope is that policymakers will find a way to balance America’s strategic priorities with the very real human needs of children across the globe who depend on these meals to survive and thrive.