# Special Food Service Program for Children *A federal child-nutrition program created by Public Law 90-302 in 1968, later divided into the Summer Food Service Program and the program now called the Child and Adult Care Food Program.* The Special Food Service Program for Children was created on May 8, 1968, when [[Public Law 90-302]] added a new Section 13 to the [[National School Lunch Act]]. The law authorized $32,000,000 for each of three fiscal years.[^1] A 1975 act divided the section into a summer program and a child-care program.[^2] A 1989 act gave the child-care branch its present name, the [[Child and Adult Care Food Program]].[^3] In Minnesota both descendant programs are administered by the [[Minnesota Department of Education]] (MDE). The [[Office of the Legislative Auditor (Minnesota)]] reported this in a June 2024 special review, which found that MDE "failed to act on warning signs known to the department prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic".[^4] The federal prosecution of [[Feeding Our Future]], a sponsor in the federal child-nutrition programs, was brought in the [[United States District Court for the District of Minnesota]]. [[Aimee Bock]] was sentenced there to 500 months on May 22, 2026.[^5] The U.S. Department of Agriculture's own legislative-history pages for the two programs now return an archived-content notice.[^6][^7] The [[Statutes at Large]] are therefore the record of the program's history.[^1] ## What Section 13 of the National School Lunch Act was enacted under the heading *SPECIAL FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN*. It funded meals served through "private, nonprofit institutions or public institutions, such as child day-care centers, settlement houses, or recreation centers."[^1] The Institute of Medicine describes the program as the origin of the child-care branch: "In 1968, CACFP began as a small 3-year pilot program called the Special Food Service Program for Children."[^8] Public Law 94-105 divided the section in 1975. Section 13 became the *SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN*, and a new Section 17 created the Child Care Food Program.[^2] In 1989, Section 105(a) of Public Law 101-147 amended the heading of Section 17 (42 U.S.C. 1766) to read *CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM*.[^3] The summer branch is the present [[Summer Food Service Program]].[^4] ## When - May 8, 1968: Public Law 90-302, 82 Stat. 117, adds Section 13 to the National School Lunch Act.[^1] - October 7, 1975: Public Law 94-105, 89 Stat. 511, splits Section 13 and creates Section 17.[^2] - November 10, 1989: Public Law 101-147 renames Section 17 the Child and Adult Care Food Program.[^3] The program had a predecessor enactment two years earlier. The [[Child Nutrition Act of 1966]], Public Law 89-642, 80 Stat. 885, was approved on October 11, 1966. Section 4 of that act established "a pilot program to assist States through grants-in-aid and other means, to initiate, maintain, or expand nonprofit breakfast programs in schools", the start of the [[School Breakfast Program]]. Section 3 reauthorized the Special Milk Program.[^9][^10] Later Minnesota dates in the record: - June 2024: the Legislative Auditor issues its special review of MDE's oversight of Feeding Our Future.[^4] - January 28, 2025: guilty pleas are entered in the Safari Restaurant matter.[^11] - May 22, 2026: Aimee Bock is sentenced.[^5] ## Who [[Orville Freeman]] was [[Secretary of Agriculture]] from January 21, 1961 to January 20, 1969.[^12] During that period he served under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.[^13][^14] Public Law 90-302 was enacted during that tenure.[^1][^12] President Johnson's remarks at the signing of the 1966 Child Nutrition Act opened: "Secretary Freeman, Senator Ellender, Members of the Congress:".[^15][^16] Earlier, on April 17, 1963, Freeman had submitted proposed legislation to establish a permanent food stamp program.[^17] The Food Stamp Act was signed on August 31, 1964 as Public Law 88-525.[^18] The statute text cited here establishes the enactment date and contents of Public Law 90-302. It does not record the votes on the law or the party alignment of its sponsors.[^1] ## How much - Public Law 90-302 authorized $32,000,000 for each of the three fiscal years ending June 30, 1969, June 30, 1970, and June 30, 1971.[^1] - [[Safari Restaurant]] in [[Minneapolis]] "received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota. The restaurant's co-owner pleaded guilty on January 28, 2025. A former senior aide to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey pleaded guilty the same day.[^11] ## How many - The U.S. Attorney's Office announced its 75th defendant charged in the Feeding Our Future prosecutions on September 4, 2025.[^19] A Sahan Journal tracker updated July 28, 2026 reports that "Eighty people have been charged."[^20] Trackers give figures of 70, 75, 79 and 80 across sources.[^19][^20] - A Sahan Journal tracker reports 68 convictions as of August 19, 2026: 61 guilty pleas and 7 jury convictions.[^21][^22] - The Department of Justice states that the defendants opened "more than 250 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota."[^5] ## In the at-issue record **[[At issue 086 - P.L. 90-302 authorized $32 million a year for]].** This entry sets the 1968 national authorization of $32 million a year[^1] beside the fiscal 2021 receipts of a single Minnesota sponsor. The at-issue record gives that sponsor's receipts from the descendant programs as $140.3 million, drawing on the Legislative Auditor's review.[^4] That sum is more than four times one year of the original national authorization. The project pairs this entry with a March 2025 White House presidential action on protecting federal funds against fraud, waste and abuse.[^23] **[[At issue 088 - In 1975 Congress split the Special Food Service]].** This entry traces the 1975 split[^2] and the 1989 renaming.[^3] It notes that both branches, CACFP and SFSP, were administered by the same state agency, MDE. The Legislative Auditor's review covers both programs.[^4] The project pairs this entry with a March 2025 White House presidential action on eliminating information silos.[^24] **[[At issue 001 - On May 8, 1968, Public Law 90-302 added]].** This entry sets the 1968 enactment, made during Freeman's tenure as Secretary,[^1][^12] beside the enforcement record. The Feeding Our Future prosecutions were federal,[^5] and a tracker counts 68 convictions.[^21] The project's research file reports that it located no charge by the [[Hennepin County Attorney's Office]] against any Feeding Our Future defendant in the public record. The file also reports that no public source records a declination by that office. It states this as an absence in the public record, not a proven declination. The project pairs this entry with a March 2026 White House presidential action establishing a task force on fraud.[^25] ## In the Minnesota record ### What - The Legislative Auditor names the programs as the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). It states that MDE "is responsible for administering these programs in Minnesota."[^4] - The Department of Justice's sentencing release uses the umbrella term [[Federal Child Nutrition Program]] and does not name CACFP or SFSP.[^5] ### Who - The Department of Justice describes Feeding Our Future as "a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program." According to the Department, the defendants "submitted these fraudulent claims to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)" and disbursed the funds to co-conspirators.[^5] - At Bock's sentencing, [[Judge Nancy Brasel]] said: "This was a fraud vortex and you were at the epicenter of it."[^5] - The Legislative Auditor found that MDE "failed to act on warning signs known to the department prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic".[^4] ### Where - The prosecutions were brought in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota in Minneapolis.[^5] - The largest single identified site, Safari Restaurant, was in Minneapolis.[^11] ## Notes [^1]: United States Congress, *Public Law 90-302*, 82 Stat. 117 (May 8, 1968) — adds NSLA §13 under the heading "SPECIAL FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN"; authorizes "$32,000,000 for each of the three fiscal years ending June 30, 1969, June 30, 1970, and June 30, 1971"; institutions served. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-82/pdf/STATUTE-82-Pg117.pdf [^2]: United States Congress, *Public Law 94-105*, 89 Stat. 511 (Oct. 7, 1975) — splits NSLA §13 into the Summer Food Service Program for Children and creates §17 Child Care Food Program. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-89/pdf/STATUTE-89-Pg511.pdf [^3]: United States Congress, *Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 1989*, Public Law 101-147, §105(a) (Nov. 10, 1989) — renames §17 the Child and Adult Care Food Program. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-103/pdf/STATUTE-103-Pg877.pdf [^4]: Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor, *Minnesota Department of Education: Oversight of Feeding Our Future*, Special Review (June 2024) — names CACFP and SFSP; MDE administers them in Minnesota; MDE "failed to act on warning signs". https://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/sreview/pdf/2024-mdefof.pdf [^5]: U.S. Department of Justice, *Feeding Our Future Ringleader Sentenced to 500 Months* (May 22, 2026) — venue; sponsor description; claims submitted to MDE; more than 250 sites; 500-month sentence; Judge Brasel's statement. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/feeding-our-future-ringleader-sentenced-500-months [^6]: U.S. Department of Agriculture, *SFSP program history* (page now returns an archived-content notice; cited as dead). https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/program-history [^7]: U.S. Department of Agriculture, *CACFP legislative history* (page now returns an archived-content notice; cited as dead). https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/legislative-history [^8]: Institute of Medicine, *Child and Adult Care Food Program: Aligning Dietary Guidance for All* (2011), ch. 2 — CACFP began in 1968 as the Special Food Service Program for Children. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209814/ [^9]: United States Congress, *Child Nutrition Act of 1966*, Public Law 89-642, 80 Stat. 885 (Oct. 11, 1966) — §4 breakfast pilot; §3 Special Milk Program. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-80/pdf/STATUTE-80-Pg885.pdf [^10]: Social Security Administration, *Child Nutrition Act of 1966* (compilation of codified text) — text of P.L. 89-642. https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/comp2/F089-642.html [^11]: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota, *Former Minneapolis Mayoral Aide and Safari Restaurant Co-Owner Both Plead Guilty* (Jan. 28, 2025) — Safari Restaurant received more than $16 million; guilty pleas. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/former-minneapolis-mayoral-aide-and-safari-restaurant-co-owner-both-plead-guilty-250 [^12]: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (NARA), *Officials of the Kennedy Administration* — Freeman's dates as Secretary of Agriculture. https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/life-of-john-f-kennedy/fast-facts-john-f-kennedy/officials-of-the-kennedy-administration [^13]: Miller Center, *Orville Freeman (1961) Secretary of Agriculture* (Kennedy administration) — service under Kennedy. https://millercenter.org/president/kennedy/essays/freeman-1961-orville-secretary-of-agriculture [^14]: Miller Center, *Orville Freeman (1963) Secretary of Agriculture* (Johnson administration) — service under Johnson. https://millercenter.org/president/lbjohnson/essays/freeman-1963-secretary-of-agriculture [^15]: Lyndon B. Johnson, *Remarks at the Signing of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966* (Oct. 11, 1966), American Presidency Project — opening words addressing Secretary Freeman. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-the-signing-the-child-nutrition-act-1966 [^16]: LBJ Presidential Library, *Remarks at the Signing of the Child Nutrition Act* (Oct. 11, 1966) — library copy of the same remarks. https://www.lbjlibrary.org/object/text/remarks-signing-child-nutrition-act-10-11-1966 [^17]: U.S. Department of Agriculture, *A Short History of SNAP* — Freeman submitted proposed permanent food stamp legislation on April 17, 1963. https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/history [^18]: Lyndon B. Johnson, *Remarks Upon Signing the Food Stamp Act* (Aug. 31, 1964), American Presidency Project — signing of P.L. 88-525. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-upon-signing-the-food-stamp-act [^19]: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota, release on the 75th defendant charged in the Feeding Our Future prosecutions (Sept. 4, 2025) — DOJ's count of 75. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/75th-defendant-charged-feeding-our-future-fraud-scheme [^20]: Sahan Journal, *Feeding Our Future charging tracker* (updated July 28, 2026) — "Eighty people have been charged." https://sahanjournal.com/news/feeding-our-future-indictments-who-charged-food-fraud-minnesota/ [^21]: Sahan Journal, *Feeding Our Future guilty-plea tracker* (Aug. 19, 2026) — 68 convictions: 61 guilty pleas, 7 jury convictions. https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/feeding-our-future-food-aid-fraud-investigation-guilty-pleas/ [^22]: Sahan Journal, *Feeding Our Future sentencing tracker* — sentencings in the prosecutions. https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/who-has-been-sentenced-feeding-our-future/ [^23]: The White House, presidential action on protecting federal funds against fraud, waste and abuse (March 2025) — anchor of at-issue entry 086. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/ [^24]: The White House, presidential action on eliminating information silos (March 2025) — anchor of at-issue entry 088. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/stopping-waste-fraud-and-abuse-by-eliminating-information-silos/ [^25]: The White House, presidential action establishing a task force to eliminate fraud (March 2026) — anchor of at-issue entry 001. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/establishing-the-task-force-to-eliminate-fraud/