The USDA has canceled funding for 11 of 13 Catholic Relief Services’ school feeding projects, affecting over 780,000 children in 11 countries as of May 2025. This action follows a Jan. 20 executive order to align foreign aid with U.S. interests, with the USDA stating terminated programs did not match the Trump administration’s objectives.
Established in the early 2000s with support from both political parties, the McGovern-Dole Food for Education initiative delivers meals that frequently serve as the sole daily nourishment for children, while combining efforts to enhance education and nutrition. Sean Callahan, CRS president, called the decision a “life-altering blow” that endangers food security and urged restoring funding to maintain children’s access to daily school meals and support their futures.
The cancellation risks increased child hunger and migration from vulnerable communities while signaling a shift in U.S. foreign aid priorities under the current administration.
